Back To Normal
by CPDRuzekFan
Summary: What happens when Adam Ruzek is released from prison and returns to work?
1. Chapter 1

He bolted upright in bed, the sweat pouring down his back his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He was gasping for each breath, he glanced at the bedside clock bright red numbers illuminated his bedroom, it was just after three am.

He brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes, his entire body was trembling and he made a conscious effort to slow his breathing. He grabbed the bottle of water he kept on his nightstand and chugged what was left of it, he spluttered a bit as it went down.

Attempting to go back to sleep would be pointless, he tossed the empty bottle in the small trash can as he crossed the threshold between his bedroom and bathroom. He yanked open the shower curtain and turned the water on, he waited for the water to reach a nearly scalding temperature before stripping down and stepping in and standing directly under the spray of water.

He barely flinched as it hit his back, he closed his eyes and tried to slow his heart rate. As the water hit him he was left with his thoughts. They weren't good thoughts either, he had been reeling since Al's death and instead of dealing with it, he buried it. He didn't recognize the person he'd become, he made one shit decision after another. He entered into a relationship that was doomed from the start and by the time it ended, he had become someone he didn't recognize anymore, he had morphed into an asshole.

He had lived hell on earth the last six months, he had spent the last four months in prison. Now that he was out he felt as if he was living in someone else's skin. He'd been about for nearly two months and it still hadn't gotten an easier. He wasn't sure his life would ever get back to normal.

He had spent four months living with his head on a swivel, nowhere was safe and no one could be trusted. He'd been jumped more times than he could count. He had his ribs broken, his face had been cut open, just beneath his right eye was an angry red and slightly raised scar about an inch and a half long.

Adam was thankful that his father's buddy had been a guard at the prison, Tommy Maddox had did his best to look out for him, but he couldn't be everywhere. Adam knew he had to keep his head down and lay low, if it wasn't the inmates coming after him, it was the guards.

He definitely had a target on his back.

When he had covered for Antonio he never envisioned it playing out the way it did, he never thought it be given a second glance. He just assumed it would be forgotten about and they'd all get on with their lives.

Shit went sideways.

The night he was arrested Kelton had been killed, he had heard rumblings of it as he sat in lock up.

Internal affairs had sniffed around intelligence but found nothing of significance and left them alone, the number of cases they'd solved told them all they needed to know.

Adam was ripped from his cell in the middle of the night and tossed in a small office without so much as a word. He waited for what felt like hours before Voight showed up and he learned he was being released and acquitted of all charges against him. He spent the night at Voight's house before heading to his father's place.

That had been an ugly conversation, he hadn't told his father anything. Needless to say he was blindsided by the news of his arrest and he made sure Adam knew just how angry he was.

"_You son of a bitch!" Bob screamed at Adam, "you lying son of a bitch!" He pushed him with both hands, knocking Adam off balance._

"_Pops..." Adam muttered, "I'm sorry..." he hated that he had hurt his father but he had no other choice, he couldn't tell him what was going on._

_Bob's anger was replaced with an overwhelming feeling of relief and love, "Adam...son.." Bob held his arms open for him, "come here my boy.." he embraced his son, and held on as tightly as he could as he cried. "I'm sorry.. I love you"_

"_I'm sorry, dad. I'm so sorry" Adam lost it. _

He was out of prison but it wasn't even close to being over, not by a long shot.

**_Well, I am back. This story is very loosely based around season 6 season finale, the first six chapters are already written, but I haven't finished the story yet. I am posting this as a bit of a motivator for myself to get the story finished. _**


	2. Chapter 2

He was dressed and out the door before sunrise.

Thankfully he hadn't lost his badge, he didn't feel like a police officer much these days though, he was a desk jockey, it seriously sucked but he knew he needed to keep his nose clean. It was only a matter of time before the brass had better things to do instead of watching his ass.

Voight had made it clear as day, he wouldn't be working a case in the field, he wouldn't sit in on interrogations or question witnesses. He was tasked with chasing down paper trails and researching their suspects. Occasionally he would be allowed to make phone calls and speak with people who may have been in contact with a suspect or person of interest.

It was mostly paperwork and that was more than just a little boring but it was better than nothing.

It was awkward as hell in the bullpen, it felt as if everyone was walking on eggshells in his presence, he was the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room. When he first came back he had been standoffish, he rejected their hugs and handshakes. He didn't want to be touched, he didn't want anyone in his face, nor did he want anyone coming at him from behind.

His second day back he arrived before everyone else and moved his desk into a corner of the bullpen making it impossible for someone to come up behind him. He was quieter now, his bubbly personality a thing of the past, he always wanted to be the center of attention now he hoped to blend in.

He wanted to go unnoticed.

More than anything though he wanted people to stop asking him how he was doing, he didn't want to talk about what had gone on during his four months in prison. He wanted to put it all behind him.

He settled in at his desk and fired up his laptop he was currently scouring the dark web for links to their case, he had discovered some pretty horrific shit along the way but none of it could be linked to their case.

He had sent off what he had found to the right departments and refocused his efforts on their case. He had about a dozen properties that were purported to be linked to one of their suspects. He needed to gather all the intel he could find on each property, making a folder for each one that would assist the team in the event of a raid.

He started with the properties within a fifty mile radius, and would slowly expand the radius to include the other properties.

It wasn't his favorite thing to do but at least it was actual police work, he felt like a cop again. He'd give his left nut to actually take part in one of the raids, but he knew it wasn't gonna happen anytime soon.

Voight ambled upstairs, he had grown used to Adam being at his desk before everyone else, "Adam." He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Boss." Adam briefly looked up from his laptop.

"How's it going?" Hank asked him. He was watching the kid closely, he felt a tremendous amount of guilt over the length of time Adam had spent in jail. He had handled the entire mess poorly, it never should've happened.

Antonio had wanted to turn himself in immediately after Adam had been arrested, but Voight wouldn't allow him to do so, he needed to get Antonio's head right first. He had found Antonio gacked out of his mind, and lit into him. He was furious that Antonio had fallen off the wagon, especially since Adam had been arrested.

It had gotten ugly and Antonio threw a punch which Hank dodged and countered with one of his own, knocking Antonio on his ass. Hank stood over him and made it clear that the only place Antonio was going was a rehab facility and that it wasn't up for discussion.

All of this went down the night Kelton was killed.

Hank refused to sell Antonio out so when IA came to question him about Kelton's death, Voight didn't say much and refused to tell them where he had been and who he was with. It had gotten pretty nasty and he knew they were looking at him for the murder. He didn't budge despite everyone telling him to talk.

He had a clear conscience, and just days after Kelton's funeral an arrest was made, a banger that felt he had been dicked over by the mayor elect had taken him out. They soon learned that their esteemed mayor was as dirty as the day was long.

Once Antonio completed his stay in rehab, Hank did as he promised and stood by Antonio as he confessed to his crime. Much to their dismay it didn't result in Adam's release, it was another two weeks before he was finally set released.

"It's going." Adam replied, he held up the three files he had completed, "these are done. I've got blueprints, neighborhood stats, some photos of the interior but I can't be sure of how current they are." He handed them to his boss.

"Good work."

Adam folded his arms across his chest, "Any chance I can tag along if this results in a raid?" He bounced on his toes a bit, nervous energy coursing through his veins.

Hank furrowed his brow, "No. Not yet." He shook his head, "You need more time."

Adam felt dejected, "More time? I've been back to work for over a month, I'm dying here."

"You flinch when someone gets too close, you're jumpy. You're not ready, Adam." Hank explained, "You give any more thought to talking to someone?"

He had the card in his wallet, he'd even called the number a couple of times but he never let ring more than once or twice. It was embarrassing reaching out for help, he knew that whatever he told the doctor would stay between him and the doctor but he also knew that doctor had the power to take his badge and he couldn't risk it.

Halstead had broached the subject with him and he appreciated it but told him he was good, he knew Jay had similar demons but that was where the similarities ended. It seemed everyone wanted to chime in, Hailey had approached him and Jay, she was quick to tell him to let it go that he was stubborn and Jay was wasting his breath.

Adam noticed the looks passed between the two, their relationship seemed to no longer be just a working one. He wasn't surprised she always seemed to care more about Jay than she cared about him, their brief relationship had been a mistake from the get go. He had no hard feelings towards Hailey but he made it clear that they were merely coworkers at this point.

Kevin did whatever he could to show his support and Adam appreciated it. Kevin seemed to know when Adam wanted to be left alone and when he needed a friend. He shown up at Adam's apartment with a six pack, they didn't talk about what had happened, but Adam knew Kevin would listen if he needed to talk about it.

He didn't have many visitors in prison and that was the way he wanted it, Voight visited despite Adam's wishes and truthfully he expected nothing less than that, but never in a million years did he expect Kim to show up.

He had been a dick to her when he was seeing Haley, he would regret how he handled that for the rest of his life. He should've been the one to tell her, she never should've walked in on them and he definitely shouldn't have cracked a joke about it either.

Needless to say when she walked in the room he felt his stomach drop, he couldn't do it. He couldn't sit behind the pane of glass and look her in the eye. He immediately got up and called for the guard and asked to be brought back to his cell.

The first time he saw her after his release was hard.

Hank had called them all in, no one knew what was going on but knew it had to be big to be called in on their day off.

_Adam hated it but knew this was the best way to go, he could get it over with it. His stomach filled with knots and dread. He waited in Hank's office until they all arrived, he waited for Hank to knock on the closed door before stepping out._

"_Hey." Adam waved awkwardly._

"_It's good to see you Ruz." Jay extended his hand._

"_Good to see you too." Adam shook his hand, "it's good to see all of you." He forced a smile and shook everyone's hand, he stood in a very defensive posture and it was clear to all that he needed his personal space._

_They all milled about for a bit, talking amongst themselves,when Kim finally worked up the courage she approached him. She placed her hand on his upper arm, "It's okay, Adam." She smiled a bit, "I understand."_

_Adam felt relief wash over him, "Thank you."_

They never mentioned it again.

"I don't need to talk to anyone, boss. What's the point?" Adam asked, "it won't change what happened. I've got no one to blame but myself, I went against your orders. Multiple times." He went back to his desk, "I made my bed now I've got to lay in it." The frustration was rolling off him in waves.

"Adam..." Hank approached him, "You thought you were doing what was right. No shame in that, I played a hand in all of this. I never should've let it get to that point..."

"Shoulda...woulda..coulda.." Adam plopped down in his chair, "Can we just let it go? I don't want to talk about it."

"Kid..." Hank placed his hands on Adam's desk, "You need to."

"Do I?" Adam opened a file, "Like you talked about Al's death? Or when Lindsay talked about her shit?"

Hank could hear voices begin to float upstairs, now was not the time to get into it, "I'll drop it for now."

"I appreciate it."

"Fuck it's cold as hell out there." Kevin reached the landing and stomped his feet on the rug to knock off the accumulated slush from his boots, "So cold. Colder than a witch's tit."

Kim rolled her eyes at the comment, "Good morning." She pushed past him and made her way to her desk.

Upton and Halstead arrived within the hour, they worked on paperwork and checked in with their CI's before turning their attention to Hank.

"Alright, everyone focused? Ready to get to it?" He watched as they nodded their heads and put whatever they'd been working on to the side, giving Hank their undivided attention.

Adam pushed back from his desk and handed them each a folder containing copies of what he had found, "Some light reading to start your day." He forced a smile as he dished them out.

"Ruzek has discovered a list of properties that are linked to our person of interest" Hank started, he waited as Adam taped the blueprints of two buildings on the white board, "The ones posted are most likely to be our targets. We can't rule any of them out though, we start with these two and then work our way through the list."

"Boss...that's like..." Halstead scanned the list quickly, "a dozen buildings. All over the city. Seems a bit much."

"Agreed. Jay's right. One of these places...is out of our jurisdiction." Hailey pointed, "We are down two officers. We are stretched thin as it, I say we go through the list and whittle it down to the properties that fit the bill of a typical stash house. Work smarter, not harder."

Kim cocked her head to the side and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, "I don't know. These guys wanna lay low, I think we need to do our due diligence with each property. The least likely it is to be a stash house, makes it even more likely to be a stash house." She didn't appreciate the comment regarding being down two, she knew Hailey didn't have malicious intent but it was still a shitty thing to say. "I don't think cutting corners is the way to go. We need to look into all of the listed properties. Regardless of location."

Voight could see the conversation veering off track and knew he needed to get them focused on the task at hand.

"All valid points. We don't have much to go on at this point, I think we need to do this the old fashioned way, we start with these two.." he rapped his knuckle against the white board "...and work our way down. In the meantime we hope shit doesn't hit the fan. Halstead and Upton, you take the buildings with an even numbered address, Atwater you take the odd."

"Am I flying solo?" Kevin eyed him suspiciously, "Not that I won't enjoy the quiet..."

"Platt is sending a uniform to ride with you." Voight explained, "Head downstairs, I'm sure your partner is anxiously awaiting your arrival." He smirked a bit, it was written all over Kevin's face, he wasn't thrilled at the idea of a patrol officer as his co pilot.

"Fan-fucking-tastic" Kevin grabbed his coat off the back of his chair.

"Dude, you need to remember your roots." Halstead busted his balls. "You started in patrol, it's time to give back, let the uni see how the other side lives." He wore a shit eating grin as he continued to rib Kevin.

Atwater turned to face him, "I remember my roots all to well. The last thing I want is to have an eager beaver ridin' shotgun." He grimaced, "I'll make the best of it though."

"I wouldn't expect anything else from you." Halstead countered with a grin.

"Burgess, my office." Hank ordered.

"What's up?" Kim asked as she closed the door to Voight's office, "Am I sitting this one out"

Hank leaned back in his chair, "No." he knew he what he was doing was a bit of a risk but he had to do it. He could see Ruzek was struggling under the weight of it all, he knew prison hadn't been easy on him and he had been roughed up numerous times. He also knew that Burgess was the only one Ruzek would listen to, she was able to settle him with just a look or touch.

He knew things had gotten messy between them, far messier than he would have liked and ordinarily he wouldn't pull such a move but he was desperate. Someone needed to get through to Adam, to break down the walls he had built around himself otherwise it would eat him alive.

"So what am I doing?" Kim asked growing a bit impatient. She wanted in on the action.

"Taking a road trip." Hank told her, he handed her the paperwork on the property that Halstead had mentioned, the one out of their jurisdiction. "This one is unlikely to be involved, it's in the middle of nowhere, a few hours outside of the the city. It's too far away from the action, but we need to check it out regardless. I guess you could say we'd be doing our due diligence"

"Okay." Kim looked it over, "Whose riding shotgun?"

"Ruzek."

Kim looked up, "Seriously? You think he's ready?"

"You have reservations?" If she had any reservations at all he wouldn't send Ruzek with her, he trusted her judgement.

"No. God no, Ruzek is good police. It's just you've got him riding a desk. What's changed?" Kim never doubted Adam's ability as an officer and she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that he had her back. Always.

"Nothing really. You know as well as I do that you'll find jack shit at this house. There's no way it's an active stash house but we need to check it out nonetheless. You take Ruzek with you. It's a long drive, you shoot the shit. Get him talking. He'll open up to you, Kim. He needs to talk to someone, he's struggling."

"I don't know. A lot has changed between us."

Hank sucked his teeth, "Maybe, but my gut says otherwise." He leaned forward in his seat, "Kim, if you can't do this, or you don't want to do it. Say something. I think Adam needs you, he needs help and I think you're the only one he will listen to."

Kim took a deep breath and held it for a moment before answering him, "Alright. I'm in."


	3. Chapter 3

Kim grabbed her coat, "Hey Adam..." she waited until he looked at her, "You should probably pee before we leave. I know what you're like in the car."

"Excuse me?" Adam wore a look of befuddlement.

Kim grabbed his coat from the edge of his desk, "Road trip time. We need to check out the last property on your list."

"I get to go?" Adam jumped up from his seat, "Who said?"

"I did." Voight answered, "It's probably nothing, but it beats the desk, huh?"

"Indeed it does." Adam nearly whooped for joy, "Thanks Boss."

"Don't thank me yet. It's sure to be a waste of time." Voight shrugged his shoulders, "Try not to drive Burgess crazy and stay warm. It's freezing."

"Thank you." Adam repeated himself, "I appreciate it. I'm going nuts sitting at a desk."

"We know. You've made that abundantly clear." Hank motioned for them to go downstairs, "Grab one of the SUVs from Platt. Let Burgess drive."

Adam knew he was being tossed crumbs, that the chance they'd find anything incriminating was slim to none but he didn't give a rats ass, he was happy to be doing something more substantial than paperwork.

Kim stopped at the front desk to sign out a vehicle for the trip, "I meant what I said upstairs, you need to use the bathroom before we leave." The hint of a smile graced her features, "and hit up the vending machine while you're at it. We need some snacks."

"On it."

Platt watched the scene unfold, "He's being let out?"

Kim glanced over her shoulder to watch Adam walk away, "He is. We are headed to check out a property, it's a few hours away. Voight's hoping I can get Adam to talk."

"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd miss the sound his voice or his obnoxiousness but I do..." she pointed her finger in Kim's direction "...and don't you dare tell him I said that." She wagged her finger at Kim, "He needs to talk to someone, prison changes people. It's changed Adam. If anyone can get him to open up..." she leaned on her elbows, "it's you."

"I'm not so sure."

"I am." Platt turned and pulled a pair of keys from the cabinet, "Your ride. It's parked in the back lot." She slid the clipboard towards Kim, "Sign here.." she handed her a pen. "Be kind to it, it's one of our newer vehicles."

Kim chewed on her bottom lip ignoring Platt's comment, "Voight basically said the same thing. He also thinks I can get through to Adam."

"Well, there you have it. Trust us, Kim." Platt tapped her index finger against her temple, "We are pretty smart. Listen to us."

Adam returned with an armful of junk food and drinks, "I hit up the machine we are good to go." He couldn't deny the fact that he was feeling a bit giddy at the mere thought of police work.

He had done the legwork on all of the properties and he knew this one was at the bottom of list when it came to suspected stash houses. He was also aware of the fact the Voight wasn't going to let him do much beyond checking out the house, and on the off chance it was an indeed a stash house he'd be benched in a heartbeat.

"Take it easy out there. The weather is calling for some snow." Platt stood with her hands on her hips, "Burgess don't wreck the vehicle, I remember what you did to the patrol car a few years ago."

Kim rolled her eyes, "Let it go, Sarge. Let it go." She turned to Adam, "Ready?"

They'd been on the road for well over an hour and as expected the weather had deteriorated and the sun had disappeared and was replaced by grey skies and building clouds, Snow was definitely on the way, and Kim pushed her foot down a bit harder on the accelerator.

"Looks like snow." Kim pointed out, she stole a quick glance at Adam, "What're you reading?"

Adam held it up, "Blueprints. The house is old as fuck. It's off the beaten path, I can't see it being a viable option. It's in the middle of fucking nowhere"

"Which is exactly why it just may be a stash house." Kim pointed out to him, "What's the GPS say?"

Adam sat up in his seat ran his finger across the screen to pull up the map, "Still headed in the right direction, a couple of hours left."

"Ugh..."

"I hear you." Adam tilted his head back on the headrest and closed his eyes, "I could fall asleep. Something about riding in a car always puts me to sleep." He wasn't so sure it would be quite as easy now, sleep never came easily to him.

If it came at all.

"Yes. I know." Kim chuckled, "It never failed, you'd be asleep within minutes. Like a little kid." She grew wistful, "We had some really good times together, didn't we?"

Adam turned to look at her, "We did."

An awkward silence fell over them.

In the years since their failed engagement they never once discussed it, that in itself told them all they needed to know. Their relationship ended because of a lack of communication and a fair bit of immaturity on both their parts, but loving each other was never the issue.

Kim chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she drove, an overwhelming feeling of dread settled in her gut. She knew the reason for the road trip had very little to do with the case, it was just a way to get her and Adam together so they could talk. As much as she didn't want to have what was sure to be a difficult conversation she couldn't put it off any longer.

"Adam?"

"Yeah?" He was reading the case notes for the umpteenth time.

"How are you?"

"Huh?" He was a bit perplexed at her question, "Okay, I'll be better once we get to the house and I can stretch my legs."

Kim shook her head, "Not that. I mean how are you..." she stammered a bit, "...with everything." Fuck she found herself tongue tied, "Since..." she glanced at him, "...you know.."

Adam sighed, "I'm fine Kim." He closed the file in his hand and slid it back in the briefcase at his feet, "I really wish everyone would stop asking, I went to prison and I left prison. That's all, and now it's over and done with."

"How'd you get that..." she point to the still angry looking scar just beneath his eye.

"I got popped. Police officers aren't real popular behind bars." He reclined his seat and closed his eyes.

Kim knew that was his way of letting her know he was done talking.


	4. Chapter 4

Adam leaned forward in his seat, "This is it." He pointed to the two story house, "It's old as fuck, isn't it?" The house was in disrepair, the porch railing was missing spindles and the steps leading to the door were broken.

"Should we park?" Kim asked him.

"No. Let's drive around the block, and get a lay for the land and then park." Adam suggested. "Let's park near the vacant lot and walk back. Don't want to draw any unwanted attention."

"I think it's safe to say this isn't a stash house." Kim pointed out, "Doesn't look like anyone has been here in quite some time. Look at the driveway, that's virgin snow. No tire tracks, no footprints that I can see."

"Let's park, we need to go inside." Adam fired off a text to Voight letting him know they arrived and that they would be going inside the house.

They walked the perimeter of the house, looked in a few windows before going in. It didn't take much effort to get the front door open, the hinges were rusted and the door had a serious case of dry rot.

Adam led the way, his gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, they were instantly overwhelmed by a god awful aroma, "Fuck..." he gasped as he used the back of his hand to cover his mouth and nose.

"Someone has been here at some point." Kim used the end of her flashlight to push around some papers that sat on an upside down bucket, "No identifying information on any of these papers, it's mostly take out menus, newspapers."

Kim turned her flashlight towards the hallway bathing it in a soft glow, "Let's start clearing rooms."

"Bang out this floor first?"

"Yeah. I'll get the kitchen. You take that hallway." Kim didn't see anything of interest in the living room or the small dining room that was off the right of the kitchen.

The kitchen was a disaster, dirty plates sat on the floor and countertops. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a couple of roaches scurried across the floor, but that wasn't what made her heart jump in her throat.

"Adam!" Kim called out.

Adam had just finished checking out the smallest bathroom he'd ever seen in his life and was on his way to the room at the end of the hall when he heard Kim calling him.

"What's up?" Adam stood in the doorway.

Kim held it up for him, "A baby bottle."

"So?" Adam moved further into the kitchen and it soon realized why Kim was concerned.

It wasn't just one bottle, the sink was filled with bottles and a couple of sippy cups, curdled milk in the sippy cups, the formula left in the bottles had soured. Kim scanned the kitchen, it was messy with spoiled food on the counter and floor.

Kim felt her stomach turn, "Adam..."

Despite everything that had gone wrong between them he could still read her like a book, she was on edge, "Let's go upstairs."

"You don't think anyone is here...do you?"

Adam led the way upstairs, he turned back to her, "What's your gut say?" He whispered to her.

Kim's hand hovered over her weapon, "It's not good. We need to check every room." She placed her other hand on Adam's shoulder, "We stay together and we clear each room one at a time."

They worked swiftly and quietly, as they approached the last room Kim's uneasiness grew by leaps and bounds. She carefully opened the door as soon as her flashlight hit the room she spotted the playpen in the corner of the room.

She gasped and raced into the room, ignoring all she had been taught when it came to clearing a room.

"There's a baby in here." Kim looked back over her shoulder at Adam, "Oh my god..." she couldn't believe it, she reached in and picked the baby up. The baby was wearing pajamas and stunk to high heaven, "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know." Adam went to the small dresser and pulled open the top drawer and found some clothes none of it appropriate for winter, he went down to the next drawer and found a few items for an older child. He held up a shirt for Kim to look at, "This isn't the baby's it's way too big." It was a pink shirt, "Where is the kid this belongs to..cause it's not the baby's."

Kim swayed with the baby in her arms, "I don't know." She began to rummage through the dresser drawers, "I need a diaper." She was really struggling with how foul the baby smelt, "This is unreal. Who would leave their baby all alone?"

"I don't know." Adam went to the closet, "Maybe there are diapers in here?" He could smell the kid from where he was standing, it was an awful pungent smell he couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Kim, "I don't see anything." He turned around to face Kim. He didn't like the way she was looking at him, "What?"

Kim closed the gap between them, she shoved the baby in Adam's arms and pushed past him, she crouched down and peered inside the closet.

"Kim?"

"Shh.." she reached behind herself and waved her hand at Adam hoping to silence him, "Honey..." she spoke softly and sweetly, "My name is Kim..." she held the flashlight low to keep it out of the kid's eyes

Adam moved closer, "Kim? What the fuck?"

"No!" A tiny voice shouted, "Go away!"

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm a police officer. My name is Kim, can you come out?" Kim peered at the little girl, she looked to be about four or five. She was skinny, and her eyes had dark bags beneath them, she was clearly terrified.

"No!" She screamed, "No..no...no..." she had giant tears rolling down her cheeks. She had nowhere to go, she was trapped.

Kim sat down and reached a hand out to touch her, "I know you're scared, I'd be scared too. You're safe now, please come out of the closet, baby. I want to see you, make sure you're okay."

The little girl moved further into the closet.

"Hey, sweetheart..." Adam spoke for the first time.

"Go away! Bad! Bad!" The girl screamed, if she had been terrified just a few minutes ago she had reached a new level of fear. She threw herself at Kim, her tiny body trembling with fear.

"That's Adam, he's my friend. He's a police officer." Kim explained as she stroked the little girl's hair, it was stringy and greasy. It was obvious neither child had been bathed in a while and the uneasiness Kim had felt earlier had been replaced with anger.

"He's bad!"

"No, he's good." Kim countered, "I promise. Adam is my friend."

"He's got my baby. Gimme my baby! I want my baby!" She stood up from Kim's lap and charged at Adam, her hands curled into tiny fists and she wailed away at Adam's legs.

Kim grabbed her shoulders, "Stop sweetie. The baby is safe with Adam."

"Gimme Diesel!"

"Diesel?" Adam arched an eyebrow, "Interesting name."

"How about if I hold Diesel, would that be okay?" Kim asked as she took the baby from Adam, "See, he's okay. What's your name?"

Adam reached for the light switch and turned it on, both kids reacted to the sudden bright light and both he and Kim noticed how dire the situation was.

"I'm Harleigh." She replied, "I'm five."

"Nice to meet you Harleigh. Where is your mommy?"

Harleigh scrunched her face up, "I dunno." She shrugged.

"What about your daddy?" Kim stroked her hair, "Where is he?"

"I dunno."

Adam began to rifle through the dresser drawers, "There are no diapers in here."

Harleigh glared at him, "Diapers all gone." She was still pretty agitated.

"Diesel stinks." Adam pinched his nostrils together, "he needs to be changed."

"I changeded him in the morning time." Harleigh went to the trash can, "see?" She pointed to the soiled diaper.

Kim went to the overflowing trash can Harleigh stood beside, it reeked. It was filled with dirty diapers, empty food containers and countless other items.

"We need diapers." Kim looked to Adam, "He needs to be changed." She held Diesel away from her body, she knew it was just a matter of time before the diaper overflowed and she wanted no part of that mess.

"We don't got none. They're all gone." Harleigh reiterated with her hands on her hips, "You..." she pointed to Adam, "gotta buy some."

"Me?" Adam placed his hand against his chest, "Why me?"

Kim glared at him, "I'll go. You can stay with the kids."

"Hell no. I'll go." Adam retorted, "What kind?"

"The green bag. Diesel uses the green bag. The one with the number 2 on it. That's his size." Harleigh picked up one of the dirty diapers and held it up, "See? Like this."

Adam backed up as she approached him, "Got it." The kid was impressive she knew exactly what her brother needed and did what she needed to make sure he got it.

Kim took a quick inventory of the room and it was apparent they needed more than just diapers, "I need to make a list, we need more than diapers. We need wipes, I didn't see any formula in the kitchen, we should get some food for Harleigh."

Kim was suddenly aware of just how dire the situation was, she was furious that the children had been left alone.

"I don't know what to get." Adam explained, "I think we've got bigger issues Kim. Two of them to be exact. We need to make some phone calls."

"Yes. I know. We need to prioritize. Diapers and food first. Let's go back into the living room." She didn't want to risk someone coming into the house unnoticed. "I will make a list for you and as soon as you get back we will get DFACS involved."

"A list?"

"Yes." Kim grabbed the small notebook she kept on her at all times, "Diapers, formula, new bottles, wipes, diaper cream..." she rattled off a least a half dozen other times before Adam interrupted her.

"That's a ton of stuff." He pointed out, "shouldn't we start by getting DFACS involved? This is beyond our skill set." He kept circling back to calling the proper authorities, this was beyond their capabilities.

"You've smelled Diesel, yes?"

"He's ripe. I'm trying to keep my distance." Adam announced, "I remember passing a store on the way in..." he knew better than to fight her on it, and the baby was in a dire need of a diaper change.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

Adam stomped his feet on the rug the store had laid out, the snow had picked up some and had begun to stick to the roads.

He ran his hands through his hair before blowing on them in hopes of warming them up, the temperature had plummeted since leaving Chicago and he feared it was only going to get colder.

Kim had meticulously written out a list with nearly a dozen items on it, what was supposed to have been a diaper and wipes run had turned into something much larger.

He was given strict instructions on what to buy, Kim had added shampoo, conditioner, detangler and a clean pair of pajamas for Harleigh. Kim had asked Harleigh what kind she would like and was met with silence, which led to Kim instructing him to get something girlie but not to girlie, whatever the fuck that meant.

The shopping list for Diesel wasn't any easier. Kim added diaper cream, new bottles, a pacifier, and a pair of pajamas. Thankfully Diesel didn't give two shits, anything would work for him.

Adam pulled the list from his wallet and grabbed a shopping cart from the front of the store, it was pretty busy as people raced to get the staples before the storm really unleashed on them.

Kim wasn't sure how much longer she could stay in the house, it was absolutely had no idea as to what the next step would be and judging by the weather they needed to figure that out as soon as possible. Thankfully she had found a small playpen folded up in the back of the hall closet, there was no way she could leave him alone in his room. The playpen was perfect as she couldn't stand to hold Diesel any longer, the stench of his diaper was vomit inducing. He was oblivious to it and was quite content to lay on his back as he gummed his fist.

Harleigh wasn't as oblivious, she watched Kim like a hawk. Kim searched for something that would give her a clue as to who their parents were. She couldn't wait to get ahold of them, it was unconscionable that they were left alone.

"What's mommy's name?" Kim asked her.

"Mommy." Harleigh replied.

"Yes, but what's her name? My name is Kim, his name is Diesel, and yours is Harleigh. Your mommy has a name, what is it?"

"I don't know. I call her mommy." Harleigh replied. She was annoyed by Kim's line of questioning, she was just a kid how was she supposed to know her mommy's name?

Kim knew she needed a different approach, "What does your daddy call your mommy?"

Harleigh sat on the floor next to Diesel's playpen, "He calls her Babe."

"What does mommy call daddy?" Kim felt her frustration grow by the moment, she had tried to call Voight but was having difficulty getting a signal.

"Babe."

Adam was in over his head.

Way over his head.

He was astonished by the dozens of bottles that were on the shelf, some had straws in them, others claimed to mimic the breast. It was fucking mind boggling, he decided on the least expensive ones. He seriously doubted he'd be reimbursed for any of what he was about purchase.

Adam moved to the next aisle, he was surrounded by diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream. He had no clue what he was doing, he grabbed his cellphone to look at the picture they had taken of the empty diaper package, he thought this would be easy. He looked for the kind he needed and came up empty, what the fuck was he supposed to do now?

He tried calling Kim.

Adam blew out an exasperated breath when he received the '_all circuits are busy_' message. They should've called DFACS immediately upon finding the kids, they were prepared for shit like this.

Adam could talk to kids until he was blue in the face, he could get down on their level and connect with them. He was the one who Voight had always called upon when a kid was involved, but that never required buying diapers.

Clearly his confusion was apparent an employee approached him, "Ah...you're out of your element aren't you?"

Adam chuckled, "Little bit." He shrugged his shoulders, "How'd you know?"

"You've got that new daddy look. Kind of like a deer in the headlights." She rubbed his back.

The simple gesture rattled Adam and he took a step away from her, "Uh..not quite. It's not mine." He wasn't sure how to explain it, "Just need some diapers, but I can't find the right kind." He grabbed his phone, "I'm supposed to get these but I don't see them."

She looked at the photo, "We don't carry them. Follow me." She led him to the end of the aisle, "Boy or girl?"

"Boy. Why? Does it matter?"

"Sort of, some companies make diapers for boys and girls but if you ask me it doesn't make a damn difference. It's just another way to make money. Those ones cost a bit more. Truthfully I'm just curious. I'm a grandma, my sweet grand babies live on the west coast. I miss them dearly." She grabbed a package off the shelf, "these are comparable to the kind in the photo. What size?"

"I don't know."

"Let me see the photo again." She waited for Adam to show her, she then rummaged through the stack before grabbing the correct size "these will be perfect. Can I help you find anything else?"

"Yeah." He showed her his list, "Wipes, diaper cream, formula." He laughed nervously. "I appreciate it."

She grabbed a container of wipes and a tube of diaper cream and dropped it in the cart before turning back to him, "Formula is down this way."

Kim tossed the phone on the counter, her frustrations mounting. She had been unable to get through to Voight and she wasn't sure how much longer she could last in that house. The stench was unbearable, but more than that she feared for their safety.

She couldn't shake the feeling that they had found much more than a stash house. She couldn't worry about that aspect of things right now her first priority has to be the well being of the two children they had discovered.

"All set?" She asked Adam, "I think that's the last of it." She tossed a package of pacifiers in the shopping cart, "the baby doll was a smart purchase."

"I think she'll like it too." He didn't dare tell the woman he was hoping to make inroads with the little girl. Adam nodded his head, "That's everything and then some. Thanks for all your help, I was lost. I would've been here all night looking for that shit."

"Your girlfriend is a lucky lady." She smiled at him. "Dating a single mom isn't easy but it's oh so worth it, my youngest son is dating a single mom. She's got the cutest little baby girl." She pulled her own cellphone out, "This is her. Isn't she sweet?"

Adam glanced at the phone, "She's cute."

"Yes, I think so too. I suppose I should stop flapping my gums so you can get home before this storm gets any worse."

"Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it." Adam fished his wallet out of his back pocket and made his way to the front of the store. He had been gone far too long and he had an uneasiness beginning to settle in his gut.

Harleigh sat perched on the arm of the couch, completely oblivious to the layer of filth it was covered in, "Bubba is stinky." She pinched her nose, "When is that man gonna be back with diapers? He's taking too long."

Kim nodded her head, "He is taking a long time isn't he? Hey, do you know when your mommy will be home? I need to talk to her."

"I don't know. She's working." Harleigh told her, "I'm hungry."

"Does mommy leave you home alone a lot?"

"I'm not alone, bubba is here. That's not alone, alone means just one" she held up a single finger. "No one else." Harleigh's reply was quick and under different circumstances it might have elicited a laugh from Kim, not now though. It was becoming apparent that this was a common occurrence and it angered her.

"Well yes, that's true. Alone does mean just one person, you and Diesel are alone because there wasn't an adult with you."

"Nuh-uh, you're here. You're an adult."

The kid was quick as a whip, "Yes I am. I'm so happy I'm here but you and Diesel were alone before I found you. You're a smart little girl and brave as can be but you're not old enough to be left alone. It's not safe."

"I hid. That was safe. Mommy says so."

Now they were getting somewhere, "Mommy leaves you alone a lot?"

"Sometimes. When the mans come she needs to go. Daddy too." Harleigh moved from the couch and stood beside Kim, "That's when I hide. Diesel stays in his bed cause he's not big enough to hide."

"What men?" Kim chose her words carefully, she couldn't ask leading questions nor did she want to press to hard.

"Men." Harleigh replied, "I don't know, they're just men."

"They come here?"

Harleigh nodded, "Not inside though. Daddy goes outside when they come and mommy stays inside." She retreated back to the couch, "I don't like the men."

The hair at the nape of Kim's neck stood up on its end, "Why don't you like the men?"

Harleigh wiggled around a bit and opened her mouth to speak when the front door creaked open, "Mommy!" She jumped up and charged to the front of the house, Kim hot on her heels.

Adam shrugged, "Sorry Harleigh, it's just me." His arms filled with shopping bags, "I bought some candy for you and a surprise." He put the bags down and rummaged through them, he found the candy and pulled it out, "Here you go." He found the doll and offered it to her, "I thought you might like this baby doll."

Harleigh's bottom lip quivered a bit and she turned around and retreated back to the couch, leaving without the candy or doll.

Kim rubbed her shoulder as she passed the couch, "I need the diapers. I've got to change Diesel."

"Here." Adam handed her the bag filled with the diaper changing supplies, "You're a brave soul, Burgess. A very brave soul."

Kim looped her arm through the bag and went to Diesel and took him into the nursery to get him cleaned up, leaving Adam and Harleigh alone in the living room.

Adam held the candy bar in front of her, "This is my favorite, you don't like it?" He opened the wrapper and broke off a piece, "it's delicious. You wanna split it with me?"

Harleigh never once looked at him, her eyes focused either on the floor or her folded hands that sat in her lap. She was absolutely terrified in his presence and felt her stomach twist as he spoke to her.

Kim had gagged through the entire process but managed to keep from vomiting, she lifted him off the changing table and held him close.

"I'm sorry you're having to go through this buddy. I will figure this out, okay? You don't have to worry I will find your mommy and daddy, I will look out for you and Harleigh, I will keep you both safe. Adam and I both will." She kissed his head tenderly.

Diesel responded with a grunt, Kim couldn't help but smile at the boy in her arms, his little face scrunched up as gummed the chain the chain her badge hung from.

"The first thing we need to do it get out of this house." Kim looked around the room, it was a disaster and she found it unconscionable that anyone lived in such filth and she couldn't understand how a parent could leave their children home alone.

Diesel brought his chubby hand to Kim's face and patted her cheek lightly, instinctively Kim kissed his hand, "This house is stinky isn't it buddy?" She glanced out the window, the streetlamp illuminating the snow as it fell, "the snow is really picking up, I doubt we will make it back to Chicago. I think a stay at a hotel is in our future. That'll be fun, won't it?"

Diesel gurgled and smiled broadly, Kim was smitten with the little guy, "Let's go back to Harleigh and Adam. We need to get moving."

"I don't like you." Harleigh declared as she sat perched on the arm of the couch, her arms folded across her chest.

"No way, you're kidding me." Adam retorted.

"No. I'm not." Harleigh retorted. "I don't like you." She told him again for good measure.

She wore a scowl unlike anything Adam had seen before, she was clearly pissed off, Adam found it a bit comical. He was in uncharted waters, he wasn't used to a kid not liking him.

"I know. I was being sarcastic." Adam told her, "I think you'll like me soon enough. I can be a lot of fun."

"I don't think so. Where's Kim?" Harleigh asked him, "it's taking too long to change my brother. My mommy is going to be home soon and she is gonna be so pissed off. You'll be in big trouble then." She smirked.

"Somehow I doubt that."


	6. Chapter 6

They managed to find car seats in the garage and where now headed back to Chicago, this is so not how Adam envisioned this playing out.

There was no way they could stay in that shit hole of a house and Adam didn't know how Kim managed while he was at the store. It reeked of shit and there wasn't a surface to be found that he feel comfortable sitting on, he was grateful to have left but he wished it was under different circumstances.

Kim had tried getting a hold of Voight numerous times while Adam was out, and couldn't get through, she knew she needed to speak to Voight before contacting DFACS.

The kids were safe, they needed to protect their case at this point, judging by what Harleigh had disclosed they were confident that the kids parents were involved in some way. Though it didn't matter how they were involved, they were in deep shit for leaving two children home alone for god knows how long.

Adam finally got through to Voight and he wasn't pleased with the outcome.

"Seriously?" Adam was incredulous in his reply, Kim was frustrated that she could only hear one side of the conversation. "Okay." He continued on, "I will do it your way." Adam ended the call and brought his hands to his head let lose an exasperated sigh.

Kim moved Diesel to her shoulder and swayed slightly, "Well?" She had just finished feeding the baby, he had sucked down the bottle in mere minutes and was now sleeping peacefully, unlike his sister who sat on the arm of the couch. Harleigh was still on the defensive and very leery of Adam despite the candy he had brought home from the store.

"He wants us to hang on to the kids head back to the district. No DFACS at this point, he said we will deal with that once we get to the 21st." Adam explained, "I'm not sure that's wise but..."

"We follow orders." Kim chimed in.

"Yes. I know. You only make that mistake once" he would never again disobey Voight, he'd do whatever the man asked of him.

Kim glanced out the window, "It's snowing."

"I know. I was out in it, remember?" Adam started putting the items he purchased back in the shopping bags, "let's get moving."

Harleigh wasn't pleased when she learned they were leaving and she made sure they knew it, she had even turned cold towards Kim.

"Harleigh, honey. We will call your mommy and daddy as soon as we get to the district. I promise. You and Diesel are safe with us. We will take good care of you." Kim rubbed the little girl's cheek.

"I want mommy." Harleigh's bottom lip quivered.

"We will call her, I promise you." Kim hugged her, "I will take care of you, you're safe with me."

They'd been on the road for a half hour or so and it was slow going the conditions of the roads were deteriorating at a quick clip and it was getting dangerous to be on the road. It seemed a rough night was about to get rougher.

Kim sucked on her teeth, "Adam, we need to find a hotel." They had hoped to push through and make it back to the city but it was becoming apparent that wasn't going to happen.

"I think we can make it." Adam countered.

"No. I don't think so. Adam, the roads are shit. It's near blizzard like conditions. It's just not safe to keep driving. We're still over an hour away." She grabbed her cell phone from the center console, "I'll find a hotel." She began searching, "I think we need to stop at the first one we see."

"Jesus, Kim..." Adam briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her. "A hotel? With two kids..one who hates me?"

"She doesn't hate you Adam. She doesn't know you and she's scared." Kim turned in her seat to get a better look at Adam as he drove.

"Nah, she hates me." Adam retorted, "She told me a half dozen times."

"Your feelings are hurt." Kim smirked, "You're hurt she doesn't like you."

"Whatever..." he grumbled, "this is just insane. Fucking insane."

"Can we not drop f-bombs in front of the kids?"

Adam glanced in the rear view mirror, "She's out cold, she didn't hear me."

"This time." Kim knew it was just a matter of time before Harleigh repeated him, she had a hunch it wasn't an unfamiliar word for the kid. It was pretty apparent that kids weren't a priority for their parents and she was terrified of what the kids had been exposed to.

It wasn't long before Kim lost herself in her phone and Adam was left alone with this thoughts a feeling of dread was growing steadily in his gut, the idea of sharing a hotel room with Kim and the kids terrified him, he decided in that moment they'd be getting two rooms.

He was still dealing with insomnia but those nights he did manage to fall asleep, they weren't peaceful nor restful nights. He would have nightmares that would have wake with a jolt and his heart racing, he'd be drenched with sweat, and in tears.

There was no way in hell he could share a room, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't scare the kids or Kim, nor could he let her see him in such a state.

When the roads became treacherous and driving was no longer an option, Adam pulled off the highway as soon as he spotted the first sign for a hotel. They didn't have the option of being picky.

"This one isn't going to be cheap." Kim grumbled as they pulled into the hotel parking lot, the area look deserted, the valet staff had taken shelter inside the lobby.

"Nope. The department is gonna love us." He joked, they had spent quite a bit already and he knew it was going to be a fight to get reimbursed.

"I'm not worried." Kim told him, "Voight will take care of it." She watched as one of the valet's approached the car, "We keep the details to a minimum."

"Agreed. We are just trying to get back to Chicago, that's all they need to know. Thankfully Harleigh is sleeping." Adam looked at her, "How are we doing this?"

"What do you mean?" Kim asked.

"Whose holding who? I think you should take Harleigh. If she wakes up and I'm holding her, she'll flip out." He told her.

.

"I'll carry her. You grab Diesel. It's freezing and late. I'm exhausted." Kim carefully unbuckled Harleigh from the car and positioned her on her hip. Harleigh groaned a bit but instinctively wrapped her arms around Kim's neck.

"Hey Diesel..." he didn't bother with taking out the infant seat choosing to unbuckle him and leave the car seat intact, "...you're kinda cute when you don't stink like shit."

A bellhop approached them as they spoke with the valet, "Any luggage?"

"Just a few shopping bags in the back that need to come up." Kim told him, "and a small backpack."

"Got it. Weather is horrendous isn't it?" The valet finished up, "I'm sure your little girl will be excited when she wakes up. We've got a small indoor playground adjacent to the gym, there's drop in service if you wanna grab work out in the morning ." He handed them a claim ticket, "Call us about a half hour before you'd like checkout and we will have the car ready and waiting. Enjoy your stay."

His remarks about their 'little girl' went ignored but it hit Kim right between the eyes, this was exactly what she had longed for, a child of her own. A child that she shared with Adam, it was why none of her relationships after she had ended things with Adam had worked out. It was never a conscious thought but deep down she knew it to be true. She was settling for someone instead of fighting for her relationship with Adam.

When the going got tough she had pulled the plug without warning and she turned her back on him and pretended she was fine, even happy.

It was complicated as hell and they both made their fair share of mistakes but when life went off the rails Adam was there, no matter what. He stood by her, made sure she knew he had her back and she knew he meant it.

"Two rooms please." Adam told the attendant at the desk, "preferably next to each other.."

After a few keystrokes the attendant looked up, "I'm sorry sir, we're limited on rooms due to the blizzard, best I can do is one room or one of our suites."

Adam inhaled sharply, "What's the suite run?"

Kim nudged him, "Don't be ridiculous Adam, we don't need a suite. One room will be fine, thank you,"

"You'll need a crib, yes?"

"Please." Kim responded.

"Alright, we're all set. Follow Johnathan, he'll take you up to your room." He handed Kim the paperwork and keycard, "We hope you enjoy your stay and don't hesitate to call us if you need anything else."

"Thank you!" Kim smiled, "We are ready to get to bed, it's been a long day."

Truer words had never been spoken, but Adam feared the night would be even longer.


	7. Chapter 7

Adam's frustrations mounted as the elevator slowly climbed from one floor to the next, he had hoped for two rooms but due to the storm they would only have one room.

"Slow elevator, sorry." Johnathan shrugged feeling the tension mount in the small confined space, "how old are your kids?"

Adam busied himself with Diesel leaving Kim to respond, "Five years old and six months." She knew Harleigh's age but had guessed on Diesel's.

"They're cute, I like kids. Not enough to have 'em but I like them." He kept chattering on and even Kim began to tune him out.

It was mindless and the ping of the elevator doors as they slid open was a welcomed sound.

They followed Johnathan down the hallway stopping in front of their room, the only room they were able to get.

He opened the door and waited for them to step inside before following them, "The mini fridge is here, you've got the standard coffee maker and all the supplies in this cabinet. Ice machine and vending machines are just down the hall, the opposite direction of the elevator and much closer" he set the bags they had on the countertop, "Do you have any questions?"

Kim shook her head, "No, we're good thanks. Adam, this room is a nice size. Getting the suite would've been silly"

"Expensive too." The bellhop threw in his two cents.

"Whatever." Adam shrugged, "You'll bring up a crib?"

"As soon as I leave here that's my next stop."

"I'll go with you. Save you the trip back up." Adam carefully placed Diesel on the bed, the little guy turned on to his belly and snuggled into the soft mattress and went right back to sleep.

"That's really not necessary sir, It won't take me long at all. It's late I'm sure you're ready to relax." He leaned against the counter, "I'll be back in less than fifteen minutes. Stay with your family."

Kim couldn't shake the feeling that Adam was desperate to distance himself from her and the kids. She waited until the bellhop was gone before she spoke, "Adam, are you okay?"

"Fine." Adam replied as he fiddled with the balcony door, he had it unlocked and opened it in one swift motion.

"It's cold. Close that please." Kim asked him, having already laid Harleigh down in the bed, she wished she had something a bit more comfortable to change into it. Sleeping in denim jeans and a sweater wasn't all that appealing but she had no other choice. She was sharing a bed with a five year old so sleeping in just her panties wouldn't work, not to mention Adam would be in the room as well.

It was going to be an interesting night.

"Sorry." Adam did as she asked, "You okay if I go for a walk?" He asked her, "I need to stretch my legs a bit. I won't leave the hotel."

"That's fine." Kim told him, "Just don't come back too late, you need to sleep." She knew beyond a doubt that he was in fact trying to get away from them.

"Call me if you need me." He held his cellphone up for her to see before sliding it in his back pocket, "lock it behind me."

"I will." She followed him to the door, "Try and relax Adam."

Kim turned the tv on being sure to keep the volume low and flipped through the channels in search of something to watch, she had already texted Voight that they had stopped for the night and would be at the district by mid morning. She found a ridiculous rom-com to watch and waited for the crib to be delivered. She hoped that both kids slept through the night but was willing to settle for just Harleigh sleeping through the night, the last thing she wanted to deal with was her questions. She knew this had to be confusing and even a little scary for the kid.

Once the crib arrived Kim transferred Diesel into it, she managed to change his diaper without waking him and the little guy didn't bat an eyelash as she laid him down in the crib and covered him with a light blanket.

Harleigh begin to stir a bit and Kim stood frozen in place in hopes that she'd stay asleep, after a few seconds Harleigh settled back into sleep and Kim felt herself take a deep breath. She moved to the empty bed and tried to focus on the television instead of Adam and whatever was going on in his head.

The hotel was beautiful a bit to fancy for Adam's taste but he couldn't deny its beauty, he was especially impressed by all of the marble and hand blown glass structures throughout the lobby. He imagined the staff often held their breath at the sight of children, this definitely wasn't a family hotel, despite the indoor playground.

The high end shops were closed but Adam had wandered into a shop that seemed to carry everything one could possibly need, he found a rack of woman's pajamas in the back corner he picked through it and found a pair for Kim, it was a simple short sleeve shirt and lounge pants but he knew she'd like them.

He continued to look through the store, and end up buying a pair of sweats for himself and then found a little baseball bat and ball for Diesel and a stuffed bear for Harleigh though he was certain she'd have no interest in it. She had shown no interest in the doll he had purchased for her when he picked up diapers, and it had been left at the house. He couldn't buy something for Diesel and not her, even if she wouldn't want it.

The more he walked the more it became apparent that he couldn't hide forever, slowly the remaining shops began to close, only the bar and a restaurant were open. He considered sitting at the bar for a bit but getting shit faced wasn't a viable option.

He did place an order for a couple of pizzas to be delivered to the room and made his way back upstairs.

Kim had given up on the movie, Diesel had woken up and wanted a bottle, he sucked it down in seconds and was now happy to sit on the bed and play peekaboo with her. Kim could feel herself falling in love with him, he was a gorgeous little man with dark hair and green eyes.

It infuriated her that a parent could leave their children alone, and the more time she spent with the kids the angrier she became, she was lost in thought when she heard the knock on the door.

She set Diesel on her hip and checked the peephole, "It's Adam." She mumbled in Diesel's ear she kissed his cheek softly before opening the door, "Hey." She noticed the bags in his hands and the bottles of soda under his arms.

"I hit the vending machine and gift shop in the lobby." Adam spoke in hushed tones, "I ordered a couple of pizzas they should be up soon. I'm kinda hungry. I grabbed you some pajamas, I think they'll fit." He handed them to her, "I got the kids something." He fished through the bags and grabbed the bat and ball, "Here buddy. You wanna play ball?"

Diesel took the soft bat and put it in his mouth, "Look he loves it." Adam rubbed the baby's foot, "he's a cute kid, isn't he?"

Kim smile, "Yeah, he is." She set him on the bed, "they both are."

"I wonder what their folks are mixed up in." Adam asked, "I fear they're up to their eyeballs in this shit we're chasing, I just don't know how yet. Something tells me they're low on the food chain."

"Agreed." Kim felt her stomach begin to grumble, "how long on that pizza?"

"Any minute now." Adam tossed the ball to Diesel and chuckled when the baby face planted oh the bed as he reached for it, "you're top heavy aren't you little dude?"

"He is. He can't be older than six or seven months. I don't understand how a parent can leave their children home alone. This isn't the first time they were left alone, it's happened before. I'm guessing it's normal. Harleigh said she has to hide and that Diesel has to stay in the crib."

"That's insane. Anything could've happened, they're babies for fucks sake." Adam was pissed off, "They were helpless. Sitting ducks. Could you imagine if wasn't us that found them? What if had been someone with less than pure motives?" He was livid, "They don't deserve those kids."

Kim couldn't disagree with him but something he said left her unsettled, they were helpless sitting ducks. She wasn't so sure that Adam was only talking about the kids, she knew he had felt helpless in prison and he was most definitely a sitting duck.

"They're safe, Adam. Don't go there." Kim took Diesel and put him in the crib and then answered the knock at the door, "Pizza is here."

Adam set up the small table and moved it further away from the kids.

Kim tipped the guy and set the pizza on the table, "I didn't realize how hungry I was. Thanks for this and the pjs. I can't wait to put them on."

Adam was already two bites in and nodded his head, "You're welcome."

Harleigh woke up to the aroma of pizza, she slowly climbed out of the massive bed and followed her nose. She saw them sitting at the small table and slowly approached them, "Pizza?"

Kim jumped up, "Yes. It's pizza. Adam got it. Would you like some? It's really good." She pulled her chair out for Harleigh to sit down and she quickly grabbed a slice and set in on a plate and handed it to her. "Would you like something to drink? We've got soda and fruit punch. Which would you like?"

"Soda." She responded meekly, her stomach growled as the first few mouthfuls hit her mouth.

Adam gave Kim his seat and he went to retrieve the stuffed bear he had purchased for her, he crouched down beside her with the bear in his hand, "Hey, kiddo. I saw this downstairs and I thought you'd like to have it."

Harleigh focused on her slice of pizza and never acknowledged Adam's presence nor did she accept the bear.

"I'll leave it here for you, it's really cute. Maybe you'll want him later. Yeah?" Adam told her.

Harleigh finished her pizza within a few bites and went back to bed and zoned out to the television.

Kim turned her attention back to Adam, "This is pretty good, it's not like Chicago pizza but it ain't bad." She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth, "Adam, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine." He told her.

"No, Adam. You're not fine. You forget that I know you. You're not yourself. You haven't been in a long time. I miss you."

"I'm here, Kim. No reason to miss me." He had expected this conversation hours ago but shit had gone seriously sideways and he'd been given a reprieve but clearly his time was up.

"Yes, you're here but let's be reality you're not yourself. You've changed." Kim knew she needed to tread carefully, "I know things aren't the same between us, but I'd like to think we are still friends, I care about you and I'm worried."

"Don't be." Adam response was curt, he instantly hung his head, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Kim pushed her plate aside, "I want you to talk to me, I know you're not okay. You've haven't been okay since Al..." she was surprised to hear her own voice crack, "none of us have been."

Adam pushed his chair back from the table, "I don't know what you want me to say? I started fucking up long before Al was killed. It's the Adam Ruzek way. You know that better than anyone. Why are you acting so shocked?"

"Don't do that. You weren't the only one to fuck up. I made my fair share of mistakes." Kim hadn't envisioned the conversation going in this direction, "I will forever regret the way we ended, I should've talked to you."

"Would've been nice, fuck I'm still not sure what I did wrong." Adam shrugged, "it doesn't matter though, it's done." He really wanted her to stop talking.

"Maybe it won't change anything but I want you to know that you didn't do anything wrong. Not really. I had expectations of how things should be and when things didn't go the way I thought they should I started to panic. I let my own insecurities get the best of me. I created drama where there wasn't any. I was swayed by someone who didn't have my best interests at heart."

Adam laughed a little, "I always knew that prick wanted in your pants."

It was crude and he regretted it a little but didn't let her know, "Why are we talking about that? It's over and done. We both moved on."

"We did." Kim shifted the topic, "You're right there is no sense in discussing that. I'm worried about you and what went on when you were in prison."

"No." Adam stood up, "I'm not discussing this, not here. Not now and not with you or anyone. I lived it I don't want to talk about it at all. Why the fuck does everyone wanna know? It's fucking prison! I'm a fucking cop."

Adam made his way towards the door and Kim stood up, "Don't leave, Adam. I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it, okay? Just stay. It's late." She pleaded with him, "Please don't go, Adam. Don't leave, don't run. Not from me." She couldn't take her eyes off of him, he stood with his back to her.

Kim took the bag with her pajamas in it started towards the bathroom to change she knew he needed some space, "I'm sorry Adam." She was nervous as hell that he'd walk out, she hoped that by going in to the bathroom she'd give him what he was so desperate for, a bit of distance between them.

He bobbed his head up and down, "it's fine." He was solemn and as much as he wanted to run from her, he didn't have the strength to do it.

He needed her.


	8. Chapter 8

She woke with a jolt, it was jarring and had her heart racing. It took a few seconds for her to gather her wits about her, she looked over at Harleigh who was sleeping soundly. She had initially rejected the stuffed animal Adam had purchased for her but Kim noticed Harleigh had it clutched tightly to her chest.

As she scanned the room she noticed Adam's bed was empty, she could hear Diesel's soft snores as he slept.

Kim felt a chill in the air and it was then she noticed the drapes that covered the balcony door had been disturbed, Adam had gone outside. The balcony was covered leaving it with just a light dusting of snow on the ground, thankfully it was no longer snowing but it was still windy and cold.

She grabbed the blanket off Adam's bed and wrapped it around her shoulders before stepping outside into the cold brisk air.

"Hey." Adam glanced over his shoulder at her, "You okay?"

Kim pulled the blanket tighter around her, "I am. Are you? It's freezing, Adam. Aren't you cold?" He was wearing sweats and a hooded sweatshirt.

"Not really." He shrugged his shoulders, "How are the kids?"

"They're sleeping." Kim sat beside him on the small bench, "Harleigh is cuddling the bear you bought her from the gift shop."

"She did like it huh? She's a bit of a hard ass." Adam joked, "I get it though. She's just trying to survive." He could appreciate that, he felt for her. A little kid shouldn't have to deal with the things she was dealing with.

Kim watched him like a hawk as he spoke, "She's a tough kid. She's taking care of her brother, and she's doing her best to make sure they're both okay." She saw an opening and she took it, "It's amazing what people can do when they're trying to survive." She resisted the urge to touch him, "Adam, I can't begin to imagine how rough it was for you in prison. I know you don't want to talk about it but I think you need to."

"Why?" He finally looked at her, "talking about it won't change a damn thing."

She watched as his shoulders sagged and he stared at his feet, she lightly touched his back and was heartbroken when he flinched at her touch, she pulled her hand away, "I'm sorry."

Adam looked skyward, "The stars..." He felt a lump form in his throat, "...I never paid attention to them. They were just there. I never gave them a second glance. Until I couldn't see them. I was in that cell, twenty three hours a day. The same four walls. One window. It was dirty. So dirty that the sun never came through it was as if nothing existed outside that window."

Kim was shocked that he had opened up she had no idea where he was going but she hung on his every word.

"People take it for granted, the warmth of the sun. A cool breeze. Even a fucking fly." He stood up abruptly, "I don't know what I'm saying..." he sighed, "...you don't think about it until you don't have it."

He leaned against the railing and locked eyes with Kim, they remained like that for a few moments and just as Kim was about to speak, they heard Diesel's cries.

Kim was frustrated, "I need to get him." She knew the second they heard Diesel cry their conversation was over, and it sucked.

"I'll be in shortly." Adam sighed.

Kim had changed Diesel and was now swaying from side to side with him in her arms hoping to lull him back to sleep watching Adam as he came inside, he barely looked in her direction on his way to the bathroom.

He was in the bathroom for a good bit before coming out, he wordlessly climbed into bed. He lay on his side with his back to Kim. He grabbed the earbuds he always had with him and slipped them in his ears, he grabbed his cellphone of the small nightstand and selected a playlist.

Kim's his heart broke for him.

He was clearly struggling with the weight of everything that had happened as she was at a loss as to how to help him. She wished she had the confidence in herself Platt and Voight seemed to have when it came to her ability to help Adam.

Once Diesel was sleeping she carefully placed him in his crib and watched Adam, his eyes were closed but she could tell he wasn't sleeping.

She climbed into her bed, surprised when Harleigh instinctively snuggled into her side, the events of the day eventually caught up to her and Kim drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Adam filled her head. It seemed Adam was constantly on her mind as of late, and it rattled her a bit.

Was she really over him?

The sun filtered in the room, creating an orange glow Kim rubbed the sleep from her eyes and felt anything but refreshed. She carefully pulled away from Harleigh's clutches and climbed out of bed, it was just after seven and had slept but it had been fitful. She wasn't shocked at all to find Adam's bed empty.

She was grateful for the note he had left on the counter.

'_Went downstairs to the gym, I won't be long'_

They had made some progress as they sat out on the balcony, Kim had no idea what would have come of Adam's story but she was ready to listen to him. Only for Diesel to wake up and kill the moment, Kim feared it would be even harder to get Adam to start talking again.

She couldn't worry about that now, they needed to get back on the road. She got to work on making a cup of coffee and put it an order for room service, Harleigh needed some food in her belly and stopping for food once they got on the road would be risky. They had no idea if the kids parents had discovered their kids were no longer at home.

Hank had them assembled in the bullpen, they all looked ragged but there'd be no rest for the weary, their case had taken a strange turn.

He massaged his temples in an effort to ward off the headache he could feel coming on, he wasn't sure how to play this. He hadn't expected anything to come from Adam and Kim checking out the house, and what they had found had knocked him on his ass.

Their was some hope though, they now had some leverage. They had something to play with, _two somethings._

He had no issue with the playing dirty, but could he play dirty with children?

He wasn't sure.


	9. Chapter 9

The ride back to Chicago was the complete opposite from the ride to the hotel, both kids were wide awake and neither was very happy.

Harleigh had done nothing but cry which had Diesel in tears, he had thrown up his morning bottle and bucked any of Kim's attempts to soothe him

Harleigh had set the tone for the day and it had left both Adam and Kim on edge.

Adam applied a bit more pressure to the accelerator, they were about thirty minutes out of the city and while they had made good time they were arriving at the worst time possible and were destined to hit traffic.

Hank had received a text message from Kim that had included photos of the kids with what little they knew about them. He printed the photos off and stuck them to the whiteboard.

He addressed the team, "You're looking at Harleigh and Diesel. Harleigh is five and we're guessing Diesel is between five to seven moths old, Burgess seems to think he's six months old. They were found in the house, she and Ruzek were investigating. Alone."

"Shit." Atwater muttered, "I guess it was a smart move checking it out." He kept his eyes focused on the whiteboard and Voight but he hoped his comment had resonated with Upton. He knew it was a bit petty of him but he got some satisfaction out of knowing that Upton had been proven wrong.

Hank shook his head silencing Upton's retort, "Don't." He glared at her, "I've been texting back and forth with Burgess all morning, they're on their way. Should arrive in the next hour or so depending on traffic and the condition of the roads."

"Where are the kids parents?" Halstead asked, "Are we sure they're involved in our case?"

"At this point? Your guess is as good as mine. I think we need to play it as if they are, we've got to figure out who they are and where they are. I don't want anyone outside of this unit to know that we've got the kids in our custody."

"Shouldn't we turn them over to DFACS?" Upton asked, "put them in protective custody?"

Hank curled his lip, "No. They're perfectly safe in our custody." He told her, "We can use them to our advantage, we find their parents and flip them. Right now, that's our main objective, we need to find their parents."

"I want mommy!" Harleigh shouted from the back seat, she had stopped crying but her chest was still heaving, her face was blotchy and tear stained.

"I know sweetie. We will get this sorted out and you'll see your mommy soon." Kim told her, though she wasn't sure that was the right thing to tell the kid. She had no idea when she'd see her mother or if she'd get the chance to see her.

Adam stole a quick glance at her, they locked eyes and Kim shrugged her shoulders.

They both knew how complicated the situation was.

Adam pulled into the back of the district parking lot, they'd been told to use the backdoor the fewer people that saw the children the better.

The entire situation left Kim feeling uneasy but she had to trust her boss and the team to do the right by the kids.

Adam had called Kevin as soon as they arrived and he alerted the rest of the team that they'd be coming upstairs momentarily.

"Alright, let's settle down." Voight instructed them, "This is an unusual situation, I don't want these kids scared anymore than they already are. Cover your service weapons if possible and give them space."

Harleigh held tightly to Kim's hand as they walked upstairs, Diesel out cold in Adam's arms.

"What's this place?" Harleigh looked up at Kim.

"It's the police station. Adam and I work here. We are going to talk to our friends and they will help us find your mom and dad."

Adam went into the bullpen first, "Hey..."

Kevin jumped up, "This is wild."

"No kidding." Adam adjusted a now awake Diesel on his hip, "It's fucking nuts. This dude is a cakewalk his sister...she's a pistol. She's also pretty pissed off at the moment. Tread lightly."

"Will do." Kevin looked down the hall, "Where is Burgess?"

"She told Harleigh she could get some candy from the vending machine, they should be up shortly." Adam explained, "What's the plan?"

"Not sure." Kevin followed Adam towards the break room, "Voight's been tight lipped. Something tells me it's not going to be above board."

"It's Voight. Of course it won't be." Adam grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, "This is Diesel. Diesel, That's my buddy Kevin. He's good people, you can trust him." Adam managed to twist the cap off the bottle of water and downed it in a couple of sips.

Diesel was oblivious to the conversation and more focused on the bottle in Adam's hand and kept trying to grab from Adam

Kevin and Adam left the break room and returned to the bullpen just as Harleigh and Kim came upstairs.

"Adam, I got candy. Not you..." Harleigh stopped mid sentence when she saw they weren't alone, she immediately hid behind Kim's leg.

Kim wrapped an arm around her, "Hi everyone. Harleigh, these are my friends. I told you about them. They're going to help us."

"Hey kiddo." Hank kept his distance, "Burgess, there are some coloring books, crayons, and an iPad in my office, along with a playpen for the baby. We need to talk."

Kim wasn't shocked that he had jumped right into it, she knew they had a lot to discuss and more importantly to figure out. They had very little to go on, Harleigh still hadn't given them anything to go on.

They had their work cut out for them.

"Okay, I'll get them settled. Diesel is ready for a bottle and then he'll nap for a bit. Harleigh won't be as easy, she'll be okay as long as she can see me though. She is leery of strangers, men specifically. She's not Adam's biggest fan."

"So she's smart." Halstead quipped.

"You're a funny guy." Adam replied.

Upton approached Adam and Diesel, she placed her hand on the little boy's back, "Hi little man, you sure are cute." She reached her arms out, "May I?"

Adam shrugged, "Sure." He moved to hand Diesel off to her only to have the baby cling to him and begin to cry, "Maybe not.."

Kim was quick to soothe him. "He hasn't done that before." She held him for a few moments before handing him back to Adam, they both followed Hank into his office.

Both Kim and Adam emerged from the office after about twenty minutes.

Hank waited for them to sit at their desks before he spoke, "Here's my plan."

_**Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, and I hate to leave you hanging on this one but I've got another story in the works that has jumped front and center and I need to get it out before I can do this one justice.**_

_**It's called 'Surprise of a Lifetime', it's basically my take on all the rumors and speculation around episode eight titled 'No Regrets', I hope you'll give it a read.**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	10. Chapter 10

Once the kids were settled in Voight's office things grew serious and a bit tense.

"We've got two kids to look after, and we will do exactly that. We'd be remiss if we didn't use them to our advantage. I've made arrangements for you, Burgess." Hank then turned to look at Adam, "and you along with the kids to stay in a safe house. You'll all lay low for a bit. My hope is that their parents will be looking for them and eventually they'll find their way to us. Now, ideally we find them first. I don't want this to go on longer than it needs to."

Kim shook her head in what could only be described as confusion, "Wait...what?" She was baffled, "...you can't be serious."

"I am." Voight stuffed his hands under his arms, "Its not ideal but it's our best chance. We get DFACS involved we lose what little leverage we have. More importantly once those kids are in the system, they'll be just another file on some overworked social workers desk. I'm guessing you don't want that for them."

"Absolutely not." Kim stood up to her full height, "...what you're saying isn't much better. You'll be using them as bait. Thats just a little _unethical' _now isn't it?"

"We've got to play the hand we've been dealt, and that's exactly what this is." Voight explained, "I'm just trying to win a poker game."

"Sarge, this isn't a poker game. It's their lives." Kim pointed to his office, they were able to Harleigh sitting at Voight's desk her attention focused on the iPad. Kim was getting worked up, she couldn't believe he was being so callous.

"Kim...we need to trust Voight." Upton chimed in, "you're too close to them, biased even."

The room grew quiet as Kim processed what Upton had just said, "Biased? No. I'm not biased. I just don't think using children as bait, is the right move. It's wrong." Kim couldn't believe that Upton was being so flippant about it, she didn't seem to care that they were talking about innocent children.

"Sometimes we've got to make the difficult choice, Burgess." Upton knew she had put her foot in it, "At least the kids will be in good hands with you. I'm not so sure about Adam." Upton joked but it was obvious that the _joke_ missed the mark and only added to the tension in room.

"Well, when you're sergeant of the unit you can make that call. Last I checked I'm still in charge." Voight bit back, "Having said that, I agree with you Burgess. I don't like the idea of using them as 'bait' but it's our best option, we need to find their parents. When we find them we need to flip them. Once we find them, we will let them know the kids are safe and being cared for. We will get them to talk and hopefully, close this monster of a case." It had been one dead end after the other and it seemed it would never be solved. This was their best chance and there was no way Voight would allow it to slip through their fingers.

"Then what?" Burgess questioned him, "What happens to Harleigh and Diesel when we close the case?"

"I don't know." Voight told her, "What I do know is that we will make sure those kids are in good hands. I promise you that, I will make sure those kids are safe."

"I will hold you to that boss." Kim's tone was harsh, harsher than she had ever been when speaking with Voight and it surprised her a little. She was willing to go toe to toe with Voight over this, those two kids had managed to worm their way into her heart and it frightened her.

She pushed past Voight and went into his office, closing the door behind her.

"Boss, a minute?" Adam asked him, he couldn't do this. He wanted no part of a safe house, he felt his anxiety level skyrocket. He was sick to his stomach at the thought of going, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep his demons at bay if they were in such close quarters for an extended period of time.

"What's up?" Hank made his way to the break room, Adam on his heels.

"How long?" Adam asked.

"I don't know." Voight grabbed a coffee mug and prepared himself a cup, he glanced over his shoulder back at Adam, "You want a cup?" He waited a few seconds for Adam to respond with a shrug of his shoulders and Voight took it as no, "I'm hopeful that it'll just be a few days. That the parents have already discovered their kids are missing and it's just a matter of time before they reach out to the police."

"Do I need to go? Harleigh, the kid hates me. I don't think my presence will go over well." Adam explained, "They both love Kim. She's the one they need. They don't need me."

"Burgess needs you. She needs someone to have her six." Hank explained, "besides weren't you the one chomping at the bit for 'real police work', well, here you go. Here's your police work."

Adam's shoulders slumped and he stared at his feet, "Careful what you wish for, huh?" He knew there was no use arguing over it, he was going to the safe house. "Can I at least grab some shit from my house?"

"No." Voight told him.

"Boss, I've got nothing. Not even a fucking toothbrush." Adam huffed.

"Make a list. Atwater will pick up whatever you need and he'll get it to you at the house." Voight was very matter of fact about it, he dumped the contents of two sugar packets in his mug and gave it a quick stir, "Get to work on that list. Your ride will be here shortly."

"Copy that."

"Is my mommy coming now?" Harleigh asked Kim.

Kim stroked Harleigh's head, "Not yet sweetie. We are going to stay together a little bit longer, my boss found a house for us to stay in."

"Why? I gots a house already." Harleigh countered, "mommy will come back soon, she always does. Daddy too. They'll come home. I have to go there to that house. Not a new one." Her bottom lip quivered, "she won't know how to find us. Diesel will be so sad. He's just a baby."

Kim felt for the kid, "I know, it's all a bit scary isn't it?"

"Not for me. I'm not scared, Diesel is.." Harleigh was quick to respond, "He's scared, he doesn't like when mommy isn't here. He wants mommy, back." She confessed, she grabbed a hold of Kim's hand, "Diesel really misses mommy."

"I bet he does" Kim picked Harleigh up and sat down in the chair with Harleigh in her lap, "We will have fun and when we find your mommy and daddy you will have to tell them about all the fun we had." Kim was well aware of what the little girl was trying to do, she didn't want anyone to know she was scared, and was using her brother to express her fears.

"Can we paint? I love painting. I'm good at it."

Kim smiled, "We can paint. I will make sure they get us lots of paint, paper, and paintbrushes. Is there anything else you want?"

"Candy." Harleigh's mood shifted and her sadness of just mere seconds ago was gone.

"I think that can be arranged." Kim told her.

Adam needed to catch his breath, he excused himself and headed downstairs. He had wanted to do something other than paperwork, but he didn't want this.

He didn't want to spend the foreseeable future in a safe house with Kim and a couple of kids.

He could only hope intelligence did their job, and ended this as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 11

The house was on the outskirts of the city, it was nondescript and blended in with the rest of the homes on the block. Voight had found a house that was smack dab in the middle of the 21st and where the stash house was located.

The neighborhood was quiet and by all accounts it was safe, Kim was thankful for that. She wasn't sure this was the right thing to do. Truthfully she was positive it wasn't the right thing to do, it seemed cruel and unorthodox. She didn't have much sympathy for the kids parents but she felt for the kids.

Harleigh and Diesel were innocent in all of this but they were the ones feeling the biggest impact from it. Their parents had put all of it motion when they left them home alone and judging my what Harleigh had told them it wasn't the first time.

They'd been left alone a lot, sometimes for just a few hours, and sometimes a few days at a time, Kim seethed as Harleigh disclosed that bit of information. She wanted just five minutes alone with Harleigh and Diesel's '_mother_', they just needed to find out who she was and where the hell she was.

Voight told Kim she needed to put all of that aside and focus on the kids and let the unit deal with the parents.

Fuck if that wasn't hard as hell to do.

Kim sighed as Atwater pulled into the driveway and then the small attached garage, he closed the garage door immediately after pulling in.

"Gotta lay low." Kevin told them, "Voight wanted me to reiterate that fact." He opened Kim's door and waited as she unbuckled Harleigh's car seat. He watched as Adam hopped out of the front passenger seat and head for the trunk, unloading their bags.

Adam hadn't been thrilled with the idea of the safe house and tried to fight Voight on it. It had been a waste of time, Voight wasn't going to budge.

"I get it Kevin." Kim huffed, she helped Harleigh out of the car and then grabbed Diesel's car seat and handed it to Kevin, "We know the rules. We stay inside, we don't let anyone in. We got it."

"It's important Burgess."

"Yes, Kevin. I know." Kim was exhausted, both mentally and physically. This wasn't going to be easy on any of them, Adam was annoyed and Harleigh was upset.

"I know this isn't what you want and I get it, but Burgess, I think it will work." Atwater followed behind Kim as she ushered Harleigh in the house. Kevin repositioned Diesel's car seat on his hip.

"I'm glad you're confident." Kim replied, "I don't want to talk about it, not with little ears around." She was going to do her damndest to shield Harleigh from what was going on.

Kevin knew to drop it, he could tell by the tone of Kim's voice that she didn't want to discuss it, "I'll drop by in the next day or two with your supplies. Text me with whatever you need from the store, there's some food in the pantry, a couple of frozen pizzas in the freezer so you're good until then."

Kevin set the car seat on the floor in the living room, "I'm gonna go find Ruz. I'll leave you and Harleigh to it."

Adam had found his bedroom, it was closet to the front door and the smallest of the 3 bedrooms, the other two sat at the back of the house and right next to each other. Adam was thankful for the distance it would put between him and Kim even if it was minimal.

He heard Kevin in the doorway, "I'm fine." Adam beat him to the punch. "I'll be fine."

"So you keep saying." Kevin chuckled a bit, "I told Burgess and now I'm telling you. You need to lay low, stay inside, don't draw any undo attention."

"I know."

"If you think of anything else you need text me, and I'll pick it up. I'll be back up in a few days." Kevin stood with his hands on hips, "Try and relax man."

"I'll see what I can do." Adam turned his back on Kevin, "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem."

Lacey should've known better, she never should've gone with Travis. She should've stayed home and let Travis deal with it.

It was his fault they were in this mess, he had _sampled_ the product he was supposed to transport and instead of owning up to it, he just dug the hole deeper.

The last time this had happened she had told herself that she was going to leave him, and she had meant it at the time but he apologized and begged her to stay. He told her he was nothing without her and the kids.

Lacey forgave him, that was just a few months ago and he hadn't changed and neither had she.

She had run away from home at sixteen, she had fallen in with the wrong crowd and ended up with a rap sheet as long as her arm and hooked on meth, she had managed to get clean a few times. Each time she was pregnant she stayed clean, she didn't use at all while she was pregnant and stayed clean for a bit after she delivered.

Lacey was proud of that, it was one of the few things she could be proud of she made sure her babies were healthy, they'd both been perfect at birth.

She clutched the balled up tissue in her hand, "What are we going to do?" She asked Travis through her tears, "Where are they?"

"Can you just stop talking? I'm trying to think!" Travis growled at her.

They'd been gone a few days, much longer than they had anticipated. They had done what was asked of them but ended up with a bit of extra cash that he had been quick to spend. He had purchased some high quality shit and they were gacked out of their minds and he didn't know his ass from his elbow.

"We need to call the police!" Lacey screamed, they had searched the house from top to bottom and came up empty.

"What the fuck do you propose I say?" Travis screamed, "Excuse me officer, we left our fucking brats home alone while we did a meth run..."

"They're not brats, Travis! Don't you call them that." She slapped her hands against his chest, "This is your fault!"

"The hell it is. You were an active participant. You need to calm the fuck down, the kids have got to be close by." Travis told her, "They couldn't have gotten far, fucking Diesel can't walk, Harleigh couldn't have taken him far."

"I'm calling the police." Lacey lunged for the phone on the kitchen table.

"No. You're not." Travis screamed as he shoved her to the ground, "Stay the fuck down. I will handle this."

Lacey did what she always did, she cowered under his glare. She lay on her side and sobbed her heart out, deep guttural sobs.


	12. Chapter 12

They had fallen into a nice little routine, well Kim and the kids had. Kim wasn't sure what was going on in Adam's head, she wasn't sure she wanted to know at this point. More often than not he was in a shitty mood and never said much, though he and Diesel seemed to click.

For the most part Diesel was still an easy baby, but he had moments where was super fussy and nothing she did seemed to help. Adam would pick Diesel up and within a few minutes he would settle down and the pair would sit on the couch and watch television, Diesel would grunt and groan every so often but Adam never uttered a word.

At least not that Kim could hear.

It wasn't that Diesel didn't like Kim, it was obvious he loved her but it seemed that Adam had something unbeknownst to her that Diesel needed. Though the had occurred to her that it was Diesel who possessed what Adam needed and that on some level Diesel was acutely aware of.

Harleigh remained standoffish where Adam was concerned and Kim didn't blame the kid, Adam was moody and closed off.

Kim made the best of it for Harleigh, she had Kevin bring over a DVD player and a bunch of movies, along with board games, and plenty of nail polish. They were stuck in a purgatory of sorts and Kim wanted to make it as enjoyable as possible for her.

Kim rarely slept past six am and today was no different, she had already fed and bathed Diesel and he was down for a morning which meant Kim was taking a few moments to herself when Harleigh woke up.

Harleigh's hair was wild as she wandered into the living room, she rested her arms on the arm of the sofa, "Hi."

Kim put the magazine down, "Good morning. Did you sleep okay?"

Harleigh nodded her head, "Yeah. Is today the day I get to see my mommy?" She had asked the same question every morning since their arrival nearly a month ago and had yet to receive the answer she wanted.

"I don't know." Kim patted the sofa's cushion for her to sit down, "come snuggle with me." Kim had no idea how she was going to handle it when the kids finally moved on from this, she had fallen in love with them, and saying goodbye was going to break her heart.

"Diesel asleep?" Harleigh adored her baby brother.

"He is. He's had a bottle and a bath already, he was up early this morning." Kim wrapped an arm around Harleigh, "You could use a bath..."

"But not a bottle" Harleigh chimed in, she was grinning from ear to ear. It was a smile that warmed Kim's heart and angered her at the same time. She couldn't wrap her head around how a mother could leave her babies home alone.

"No. Not a bottle" Kim smiled as she tried to tame Harleigh's hair with her hand, "how about scrambled eggs and some chocolate milk?"

"Yes, please." Harleigh answered, "is Adam sleeping still?"

"I think so." Kim told her, she hadn't seen him yet nor had she heard any noise coming from his room.

While Harleigh had warmed up a tad bit towards Adam she was still leery of him, she would speak to him but it was never more than a few words at a time.

Kim didn't blame her, Adam was miserable and often retreated to his bedroom, especially if Diesel was sleeping or otherwise content.

Kim had been steadfast about keeping the kids on a strict schedule, so much of their life was up in the air that she knew they needed stability of some sort. They were in bed by eight thirty every night. They'd eat dinner around five, the kids would play for a bit before a bath a little television and then a story and it was lights out.

Once they were in bed Kim would do laundry and any other housework that needed to be done, check in with the team and then she'd unwind with either a book or mindless television. She was often in bed before eleven, she couldn't say the same for Adam.

Adam could be heard pacing throughout the house, oftentimes in the dark. She had contemplated reaching out to him in those moments but any time she exited her bedroom he'd make a beeline for his.

She felt him slip a little further away with each passing day.

She was terrified for him.

Lacey felt as if she was being crushed by the weight of her missing children, she didn't understand how Travis could expect her to 'wait it out'. Travis was sure they kids would 'turn up sooner or later'. She couldn't believe it when he uttered those words just the other day, he told her if it didn't happen soon, he reach out to his boss and they'd find the kids. It had been nearly a month and she couldn't take it any longer.

Travis was dead wrong if he thought she'd sit and wait for her kids to show up, she was taking a risk but it was a risk worth taking.

She would no longer allow him to dictate her life, she was going to do everything she could to find her children.

Even if it cost her everything.

She slowly climbed the steps into the Freemont Police Department, she knew her life would never be the same once she crossed the threshold into the building.

Travis was going to blow a gasket, there was a good chance they'd both be arrested and she didn't give a shit. She needed to find her babies.

She approached the older man at the desk, he looked miserable. His salt and pepper hair was disheveled, the glasses he wore at on the tip of his nose, in a precarious fashion as if just one small gust of wind would blow them off. He had a belly that hung well over his belt buckle and she doubted he'd seen a foot chase in decades.

Lacey timidly approached him, "Excuse..." her voice was so soft she could barely hear it herself, she cleared her throat and started over, with a bit more conviction this time, "Excuse me officer, I'd like to report a missing child. Two of them."

He looked up from the report he was working on, "Okay." He closed the file, "Let's go in the office." Daniel Majors was due to retire in a year's time, he'd spent the last five years working the desk, he was anxious to hang it up. He hadn't seen any action in a long time, and sometimes he hoped for just one more serious case. A last hurrah of sorts, and he couldn't help but wonder if it had just walked into his police station.

Lacey followed closely behind, she was praying she didn't run into anyone she knew, on either side of the law. She couldn't risk Travis finding out she had gone to police before the police had a chance to find him.

She knew If he was tipped off he'd run, he wouldn't forget her betrayal and she'd live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.

Once in the office Daniel closed the door, "Tell me what's going on?"

Lacey took a deep breath in and slowly blew it out, "I would like to report my children missing. Harleigh and Diesel Jankowski" she pulled the photograph from her purse and handed it to the officer, "They've been missing for nearly a month." She was ashamed of herself that she was only now reporting that her children were missing. She could only hope that she'd be able to right every wrong and maybe one day she'd be the mother her children deserved..

Daniel knew his one last hurrah had arrived.


	13. Chapter 13

"Harleigh, baby lunch is ready will you go tell Adam." Kim instructed Harleigh, she then strapped Diesel into the high hair and quickly fed him his baby food, that way she could give him his bottle and then get him down for a nap.

Within a few minutes both Adam and Harleigh sat at the table, eating in silence.

"I just put Diesel down, he should sleep for a good bit." Kim had taken to broadcasting what she was doing to break up the silence. She was never one that needed to to talk but the level of quiet in the house was often unsettling.

"Can we play a game after we eat?" Harleigh asked as she kneeled in her chair her arms resting on the table, she was hit with a sudden burst of excitement and inadvertently sent Kim's glass crashing to the floor.

The sound of the shattering glass scared Adam, "Fuck! Harleigh you've got to be careful, son of a bitch" his heart raced and he broke out into a cold sweat his hands trembled. He was taken aback by how badly it startled him.

"Adam!" Kim was furious with him, Harleigh instantly started to cry and ran from the table.

"I'm sorry." Adam tossed his napkin on the table, "I'm sorry alright?" He felt like shit, he was absolutely miserable and felt that any progress he had made since being released from jail had been wiped away since moving to the safe house.

Kim pushed back from the table, "I'm not the one you need to apologize to. That was uncalled for, it was an accident Adam. You scared her."

She ignored Adam's response and went after Harleigh.

Harleigh was laying face down on her bed, her little body raked with sobs.

"Harleigh honey, are you okay?" Kim asked tenderly.

"He yelled!" Harleigh sobbed into her pillow, "I didn't mean to spill it. I bumped it. I didn't mean to!"

"I know you didn't. It was an accident." Kim opened her arms to her and Harleigh threw herself at Kim, "it's okay, please don't cry."

Adam paced the living room, he was a train wreck. Being in this house, unable to leave it was like being in prison all over again and it was draining the life out of him. He had been feeling it for awhile now and Harleigh knocking the glass over the table had pushed him over the edge.

He hated that he yelled at the kid, but in that moment he was in prison again and it rattled him. He was lost in flashbacks of being in the mess hall, the sounds of the metal cups rattling on the floor, the metal trays clapping against the table. He could hear the raucous screams of the other inmates.

The first time he had been attacked it was in the mess hall, he never even saw it coming. He was keeping his head down to avoid conflict when he took the tray to the side of his face, it busted his face open just below his eye. He was jumped by four or five guys, and it had been a nasty beat down. He was left with ten stitches, a broken cheekbone, and bruised ribs. The guards had taken their sweet as time in getting their as well. It wasn't the only time he had been attacked but it had been the worst.

Kim held Harleigh until she stopped crying, her little body still shook with sobs as her breathing returned to normal and before long she fell asleep.

Kim carefully maneuvered her onto the bed without waking her, she draped a blanket over her and kissed her head softly before leaving.

Adam sat with his head in his hands, Kim felt for him but her anger erased whatever sympathy she had for him, he had blown up on Harleigh and it was uncalled for. She knew he was struggling with his own demons but she didn't like that Harleigh took the brunt of his rage.

"Adam.." Kim leaned against the doorway, "we need to talk."

Adam looked up at her, and the look on his face shocked Kim. She knew he had been struggling but in that moment she got it, it wasn't much but something in his eyes just how troubled he was. Adam knew immediately that she had recognized it, and that she wouldn't rest until he talked. He couldn't put it off any longer "Is Harleigh alright?" He asked her.

"She's sleeping. She was terrified, you scared her. You shouldn't have yelled. She's just a little girl, Adam." Kim had been rattled by the look in Adam's eyes and knew she didn't need to tell him how upset Harleigh was but she couldn't stop herself from rambling.

Adam stood up from the couch, "I know. I just lost it! I hate that I scared her." He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep Kim from seeing how badly they were shaking, "It scared me..."

"Scared you? It was a glass breaking Adam, that's hardly scary." Kim replied.

Adam scowled, "You've never been on the inside. Kim, you don't know what it's like.." he could see it on her face, Kim was starting to connect the dots, "..it brought me back there. Being in this house is fucking with me!"

Kim was finally starting to understand what he was going through, "You're not in prison Adam. You're safe in this house."

"We can't go outside. We are stuck here! It's playing with my head!" Adam kept his voice down but the anger was evident in his voice, he was so angry that even his body language was filled with rage, "I can't take it! I need to get out of here. I need this case to end!"

Kim could see him unraveling, she went to him and took hold of his hands pulling them from his pockets, they were clammy and shaking uncontrollably "Look at me, Adam." She repeated herself when he didn't lift his eyes, "Look at me..you need to breathe. You aren't in prison. You're safe. I've got you Adam."

Adam did as she told him, and slowly he felt the waves of panic and fear begin to taper off, his breathing was still a bit ragged but he was slowly regaining his composure, "I'm sorry. This is hard, Kim. I'm really trying."

Kim dropped his hands and took hold of his face, "I know you are, but you need to let us in. I know it's eating away at you, it has been from the start. I feel like I put all of this into motion when I ended our engagement. It's been one nightmare after the next, we lost Al, I lost Blair, and then I lost you. I lost you to Hailey, then I lost you to prison. I've got you back now, and I promise you I won't let you go."

Adam's shoulders slumped and he lost it, he was a broken man and it absolutely destroyed Kim, she caught him as his kneels buckled and he gave into his emotions and let it all go, all of his hurt, anger, torment, all of his heartbreak came pouring out of him in the living room of a random house in the suburbs. Adam Ruzek finally broke.

Kim held on tightly as he cried in her arms.

Hank hung up the phone and exited his office, "We just caught a break. A buddy of mine just called, he has the kids mother. Halstead, Upton you need to go pick her up and bring her back here." He told them all, "It's time to end this."


	14. Chapter 14

Time stood still for them both, it was Adam who came out of it first, he brought his hands from Kim's hips to her neck and he looked her in the eye for the longest time before leaning in and kissing her, it was soft and sweet.

Adam pulled back briefly before going back for another kiss, this time he wanted more and Kim gave it to him.

Kim went from pulling his body closer to suddenly pushing him away "Adam..." she muttered as she tried to gather her composure, it was easy to get lost in him and his kisses but she wouldn't allow it.

"What?" Adam whispered against her skin as he kissed a path along her jawline, "I've wanted this for so long..." he leaned in again only for Kim to put a little more distance between them.

"We can't!" She disentangled her hands from his, "We can't do this. Not here, not now." She couldn't deny the fact that she wanted the same thing he did, but if they were to work they needed to go about it the right way and not while they were in the middle of working a case.

"I want you..Kim, I need you."Adam was filled with desire, she had broken through the walls he had built around himself and now he was at her mercy. He was still head over heels in love with her, he had buried those feelings for so long and now they had raced to the surface. He wasn't sure he'd be able to bury them again, no he knew he wouldn't be able to do it.

"Adam.." Kim's voice was low, "We can't. I'm not saying we won't, I'm just saying we can't. Okay?"

Adam released his hold on her, "What does that mean?"

"It means. We can't right now." She told him, "you're just starting to deal with everything and I think we need to focus on that before we can think about trying again."

"So you're saying there's a chance..." Adam smiled, and for the first time in a long time it was a legit smile.

Kim laughed at his joke, "There's definitely a chance."

The house felt lighter in wake of Adam's breakdown, he was lighter. Kim noticed it in the way he played with Diesel, the pair sat on the floor playing with the toy trucks and blocks that Atwater had delivered just a few days ago.

"Knock it down, man. I know that's your favorite part." Adam told Diesel and the little guy did as he was told and sent the blocks flying his giggles were contagious and soon both Adam and Kim were laughing.

Harleigh wandered into the living room and Adam instantly got up and went to her, "Hey kiddo, can we talk?" Adam crouched down in front of her and he detested the look of fear in her eyes.

She glanced over at Kim.

Kim nodded her head, "Talk to Adam honey."

"Okay." Harleigh mumbled.

They both sat down on the couch and Adam turned to face Harleigh, "I'm really sorry I yelled at you earlier. I shouldn't have done that, it was an accident and you didn't mean to do it. I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No. It's not." Adam told her, "I was wrong." He never wanted to see a child look at him with fear in their eyes, "Sometimes loud sounds scare me, I went through some bad stuff and I'm working through it, that's why I yelled at you. I was scared, it doesn't make it right but I was never angry with you. Do you forgive me?"

"Yes." Harleigh replied, "Diesel gets scared a lot, it's okay to get scared."

Adam held his hand out to her, "Friends?"

Harleigh shook his hand, "Friends."

Jay held the door open for Hailey, "You think Voight's plan is going work?" Hailey asked him, "I can't believe Burgess called him out on it. It was a ballsy move for anyone, but especially for someone who is in her position."

"I don't know if it'll work but it's worth a shot." Jay replied, "I think you need to give Burgess a little credit, she's smart. She wasn't wrong either it's bordering on unethical. It's definitely risky."

"Sometimes you've got to go the unethical route, you do whatever needs to be done to get the collar. We need to solve this one and if this it what it takes so be it." Upton explained, she made it a point to keep her emotions out of the case.

"Lets hope it works then." Halstead wasn't sure he agreed but he knew they needed to get this one solved and it was proving tricky, they needed to take advantage of the situation.

Lacey was pacing the length of the office she was nervous wreck and had no idea what was happening, she had been told to '_sit tight_' and that they needed to put a plan in place before she could leave.

The door swung open and she froze, two plain clothes officers entered the room and the panic begin to rise within her, "Who are you?"

Halstead spoke first, "I'm Detective Halstead, my partner is Detective Upton. We've located your children."

Lacey felt her knees buckle and the room started to spin, "Oh my..." she nearly fell over, she grabbed at the the chair to keep from hitting the floor, "are they okay? Where are they? Are they here?"

"No." Upton replied, she guided Lacey back to the chair and had her sit down, "They're in protective custody. They are safe and being cared for. Which is more than you can say, I mean you're the one who left them to fend for themselves."

"I had to!" Lacey screamed, "I didn't have a choice. We needed to deal with something and it got away from us. I will never forgive myself. I need my children." She attempted to head towards the door.

Jay stopped her, "If you think we are going to let you anywhere near those kids, you're certifiable."

"Though, perhaps we can work something out." Upton started, "Why don't you take a ride with us and we can discuss what happens. A little quid pro quo if you will."

Lacey wasn't sure as to what they wanted but she didn't care, "Whatever it takes to get my children back."

Kim was blown away by the difference in Adam, he was more engaged and he looked more at ease. She knew his breakdown earlier had helped him, and while she knew he was still harboring personal demons, she hoped that he had broken the seal and that just maybe he would open up to her.

She was feeding Diesel while Adam and Harleigh played a card game at the kitchen table. It was remarkable to see the difference in how Harleigh responded to Adam. She had been standoffish and made it clear she didn't care much for him but that no longer seemed to be the case.

They were laughing and having a good time and it warmed Kim's heart. She had been anxious for the team to wrap the case up, but now after Adam's breakthrough she wanted it to last a bit longer.

The ride back to Chicago had been a quiet one, neither Halstead or Upton had any desire to talk to Lacey, they also didn't want her getting comfortable with them. The less they said the better, bit it made for a tense ride.

They were immediately put off by Lacey, it was obvious she wasn't fit to be a mother and it was clear Travis wasn't the only one who had a substance abuse issue.

Lacey was nervous as hell, her skin was crawling and she was desperate to take the edge off. She had picked at her cuticles to the point of drawing blood, she was terrified that she wasn't going to be able to see her children.

Her mind wandered to Travis, she was terrified of him and how he would react to the news that she had gone to the police. She hoped he had just cut his loses and would move on from her without a second thought, she knew he loved the kids in his way but she knew that he didn't love them like she did. He could walk away from them without even a backward glance, that would be in everyone's best interest, neither Harleigh or Diesel needed him in their lives.

She brushed away the tears that sprang to her eyes, crying was pointless. Her tears wouldn't change a damn thing, her parents were right. She was nothing but trash and she deserved to rot in prison for what she did.

Her only hope was that Travis would suffer the same fate.

Early evening was a busy time between dinner, bath time, and an hour or two of television and play time Kim was ready for the kids to go down for the night. Tonight was a bit different it was sweet to watch Adam interact with both kids, he wasn't completely free of his demons but for the first time in a long time she saw Adam, her Adam. The man she had fallen head over heels in love with, she had thought she'd never see that man again, she had never been so happy to be have been wrong.

Kim could see Diesel dozing off as he sat in Adam's lap, Harleigh had rubbed her eyes at least a dozen times in the last ten minutes and Kim learned that it was dangerous to push the limits on bedtimes. An overtired child wasn't a pleasant child, she knew it was time to call it, "Alright kids, it's time for bed." She lifted Diesel from Adam's lap and the little guy instantly snuggled into her, "sleepy boy" she kissed him and held her hand out for Harleigh, "C'mon kiddo."

"I'm not tired." Harleigh whined, "See?" She did her best to make her eyes big, "I'm not sleepy."

"I'm tired. Your brother is tired. Adam is tired. It's time for bed. Come on, let's go." Kim left no room for argument.

"Okay." Harleigh gave in, "I'm a little bit sleepy" she admitted, "Will you read me a story?"

Kim would never turn down a request for a story, "Sure, let's get your brother in his crib and then we can pick out a book. Tell Adam good night."

"Good night Adam" Harleigh smiled and followed Kim down the hallway only to stop midway, she pulled her hand from Kim's hand and ran back into the living room.

Kim turned around and was stunned to see Harleigh go to Adam, taking him by surprise as she wrapped her arms around his waist as he locked the front door.

"I had fun playing with you, Adam." Harleigh confessed.

"I had fun too." Adam crouched down in front of her, "I'm really sorry I yelled at you, I know that must've scared you. I hope we can be friends."

"We are friends silly." Harleigh giggled, "You, Kim, Diesel, and me. We are all friends."

"Good to know." Adam replied softly, his voice cracking just a bit, it went unnoticed by Harleigh but Adam was sure Kim had heard it. He was thankful for the distance between him and Kim as it meant she wouldn't notice the tears in his eyes.

Travis was disoriented, he'd been jolted awake by two loud booms and then the sound of screaming in the distance, except it was getting closer and closer. In an instant the door flew open and before he knew it he was jerked from the couch and tossed on the ground.

Kim was wide awake, she had tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity and she knew sleep wasn't in the cards for her. She kicked the covers off, she checked on the kids and both were sleeping soundly.

"Adam..." Kim whispered as she approached him, he was sleeping soundly and she thought about turning around and retreating back to her bedroom but she couldn't do it. He was all she could think about, the kiss they had shared earlier had left her wanting more. She touched his back gently, "Adam it's me, Kim. Wake up."

Adam flipped over in a flash and grabbed hold of her wrist, "Stop..." his heart raced and it took a second for him to gather his bearings, "...Kim..."

"I'm sorry." Kim palmed his cheek, "...I couldn't sleep..."

"Okay." Adam sat up in bed unsure of what was going on, "Are you okay? The kids okay?" He went to turn on the small lap that sat on the nightstand.

Kim stopped him, "Don't turn the light on." Her breath was ragged and she spoke in a near whisper, "Kiss me..."

"What..." Adam replied, he wasn't sure he had heard her correctly, "Kim..." he didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, Kim went from standing beside his bed to straddling him, she was kissing him, her hands gripping his neck making it impossible for him to pull away.

Adam grabbed hold of her hips pulling her closer to him, letting her know exactly what she was doing to him, "Kim..." he mumbled against her lips, "you're playing with fire..."

"I know exactly what I'm doing..." Kim pulled her shirt over her head tossing it on the floor, "I want you, I need you." She slipped her hand inside his sweats, "do you want me..."

"No." Adam stilled her hand briefly, "I need you."


	15. Chapter 15

Lacey had lost all concept of time, she'd been in the small room for hours. She'd been offered food and drinks, but turned each offer down. There was no way she could eat, her stomach was in knots, she kept asking for her children but her requests were falling on deaf ears.

It was starting to piss her off, she knew she couldn't lose her shit as that would only hurt her cause, but she was finding it hard to maintain her composure.

Lacey focused her gaze on the 'mirror', she wasn't an idiot she knew she was being watched, she knew the cops who brought her in were watching her like hawk, she wasn't going to give them anything.

She sat ramrod straight in the chair her hands folded in front of her on the table, she wanted to look as if she had it all together, she wanted to appear as if she was in control. It was all a facade and on the inside she was scared shitless, she was a hair's breath away from a full blown emotional breakdown. She missed her babies, the guilt over leaving them was becoming unbearable.

Kevin announced his return, "Breakfast is here." He had ended up with the short straw and had the privilege of picking it up, "Come eat. Voight said we will talk to her as soon as we're done eating." He had grabbed some food for her she hadn't yet accepted an offer but they had yet to bring the food in the interrogation room. It had been eight hours since she was brought in, she had to be starving.

Jay and Hailey followed Kevin out into the bullpen, they'd eat at their desks while Voight briefed them on the next step.

Harleigh rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she had wandered into the living room expecting to find Kim, and was shocked that she wasn't sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and her book. Harleigh always woke up after Kim and Diesel, and they were always in the living room. She felt her lip begin to quiver, she decided to go to Kim's room.

She slowly pushed the door open, she liked that Kim always slept with the door open just a tiny crack, she liked that was allowed to go in whenever she needed to. That was really nice of Kim, her mommy and daddy didn't let her do that, they always locked their door at night and it was scary sometimes.

"Kim" Harleigh whispered, "I'm awake, and I'm hungry." She stood in the doorway, she could see Diesel asleep in his little crib so she didn't want to be too loud, Diesel could cry really loud and that hurt her ears when he did that. When Kim didn't answer she tiptoed further into the room, she stood alongside the bed and discovered it empty. She felt the worry in her tummy begin to bubble, she glanced around the room and it all looked okay, it didn't look like the way mommy and daddy's room got when they left. When they had to leave they always made such a mess, they knocked things over, sometimes they broke glass and it would be on the floor. She always had to be so careful that she didn't step on it.

Kim's room looked the same as it always did nothing was different and that felt good, she decided to check the bathroom. It was just down the hall, the bathroom door was wide open and there was no one inside. Harleigh felt the first few tears fall and she was back to being scared, she hadn't felt this scared in a long time and she hated it.

On her way back towards the living room, she came to Adam's bedroom. The door was closed, she pressed her ear to it and listened intently, sometimes she could hear his tv on but not now, now it was quiet. She wasn't afraid of Adam anymore, he used to make her scared because he was always grumpy and he didn't talk a lot. Diesel liked him a lot but she didn't, Diesel always liked people though, even strangers. When the bad mans would come to the house Diesel was never scared, but she was, they were scary. They always looked grumpy and mean, Adam's face looked the same way. The bad mans used to yell and scream, sometimes they hit daddy and that's always when mommy made them go outside. Mommy and daddy would fight a lot and then they'd leave the house. She hated those times, she tried so hard to be brave but everything was so hard when mommy was gone.

Adam said he was sorry for yelling, and that made her feel better then they played games and watched television together. Adam really was sorry, he had told her that a bunch of times and that made her feel really good.

But now that sick feeling that her tummy always had was back and she didn't want she to open the door. She didn't want to know if Adam had left or not, she raced back into her bedroom and climbed in her bed and hid under the covers.

The drunk tank was at full capacity, the round up at the old paper mill had been a successful one. The town was downtrodden since the mill closed nearly twenty years ago, it had never really recovered from losing its biggest employer. The abandoned mill was a massive eyesore and there was no telling when it would finally be demolished, it was stuck in a political tug of war. The town's leaders couldn't get their shit together and figure out how to move forward, and the residents were paying the price.

The mill was often the host of all night raves, and it was constantly full of squatters. It was just a mess and the police did all they could, but it was a steep uphill climb and until the building was torn down they'd be climbing that hill.

They did what they could but it was pointless, everyone arrested would be released within forty eight hours, occasionally they'd get lucky and one of the people brought in would have a warrant for their arrest or a repeat offender, but more often than not it was a catch and release deal.

Those they arrested thought little of personal hygiene and lacked self respect, come sunrise the entire room reeked of piss, vomit, and shit. There wasn't enough air freshener in the world to rid them of the stench, needless to say they worked quickly on releasing them.

They'd run the name through the system and check for priors and warrants if they came up empty on the searches and the person wasn't a pain the ass they'd cut them lose.

"Jan...ko.." the officer stumbled over the name, he corrected himself, "Jankowski Travis?"

Travis stood up, "That's me." He pushed his way to the front, looping his arms through the bars, "You gonna let me out?"

"Let's see." The officer checked the file, "It appears so."

"Fantastic." Travis smirked, "Took fucking long enough." He was anxious to get out, he had a score to settle.

"Don't get too excited, you're being transferred to a different department." The officer met Travis' smirk with one of his own.

"What? Why?" Travis would never claim to have a clear record, he was always getting caught up in something but he was confident he didn't currently have any active warrants out for his arrest. He was picked up after a bender, he kept his mouth shut all night, and he was only on strike two of a three strike system, by all accounts he should be released on his own recognizance. "This is bullshit."

"Fremont Police Department begs to differ. It will be awhile before your ride gets here, you might want to have a seat." He loved this part of his job, a lot of these fuckers liked to pop off at the mouth knowing that a cop was limited in how they could react. This was priceless, he was getting the last laugh.

Travis went back to the concrete bench and sat hunched over listening to the clank of the bars as each of his 'roommates' were released. He had a hunch as to who was behind this and she was a fucking fool if she thought she'd get away with it. He would bring her sorry ass down with him and she'd never see their brats again.

The sun felt warm on her face as it filtered into the room, she snuggled even deeper into the covers, she felt an arm draped over her. Her eyes opened slowly and she found herself eye to eye with Adam.

"Well, good morning beautiful." Adam ran his hand through her hair, "This is the best wake up I've had in a long time." He leaned in for a kiss, one Kim happily accepted.

Only for Kim to suddenly slam on the brakes, "What?" Adam was a bit frustrated, it didn't take much to get him going and she definitely had him going.

"What time is it?" Kim asked, she climbed over him to see the clock that sat on his nightstand, "Shit!" She was out of bed and dressed in a flash, "Oh my goodness..." she couldn't believe she had slept as late as she had. "I need to check on the kids, I can't believe this. Diesel is usually up by now."

Adam quickly realized that any hopes that he had of a repeat performance had just been dashed, Kim was in a panicked state, "I'm sure the kids are fine, they were up a little later than usual. I'm sure they just slept in" he tried to reassure her, it wasn't working, "I'll be right out, I need a shower. A cold one." He tried to lighten her mood a bit but she just glared at him before leaving his room.

Kim ran back to her bedroom and found Diesel sitting up in his crib, gumming on his lovey. "Oh my sweet little man.." she held her arms out to him and was met with a gummy smile, "Good morning."

She was relieved to see that he was happy and oblivious to the fact that she had slept in, she quickly changed him and returned him to his crib as she grabbed a pair of leggings and t-shirt instead of the tank top and sleep shorts she had gone to bed in.

Adam had felt amazing despite the frustrating start to the morning, for the first time in a long time he felt like his life was trending in the right direction. Kim coming into his room in the middle of the night was unexpected but it had given him hope. He had hope that they'd find their way back to each other, he promised himself that he would fight tooth and nail for her. He loved her beyond words and it was time he showed her.

He could hear a soft cry as he passed Harleigh's room, he peeked in and saw her on the bed crying, "Harleigh, sweetheart. Can I come in?" He was still trying to prove to the little girl that she could trust him and that he'd keep her safe. He didn't want to just burst into her room and undo what ever progress they had made.

Harleigh's head flew up and she was on her feet in a flash, she threw herself at him, "I was scared!" She knocked him a bit off balance as she charged him. She was inconsolable and her body convulsed with each sob.

Adam held her and was shocked by how tightly she had wrapped her arms around his neck, "What scared you? Was it a bad dream?" She was trembling in his arms, her cries were no longer soft, she was hysterical.

Kim and Diesel stood in the doorway, "Harleigh?" Kim rushed in, "What's wrong?"

"I couldn't find you" Harleigh spoke through her tears, "I looked and looked.."

Kim's face went white and she set Diesel down and took Harleigh from Adam, Adam wasn't sure who he was more heartbroken for, was it Kim or Harleigh? He picked an oblivious Diesel up and took the little guy out of the room. He wanted to give the girls some privacy but he had to be honest it was hard to see Kim so upset.

"I couldn't find you." Harleigh told her, she sat in Kim's lap, "I got so scared, I thought you left like mommy and daddy."

It was a knife to Kim's heart, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry. I was sleeping."

"Nuh-uh I went in your room. Just Diesel was sleeping. I looked everywhere." Harleigh waved her hands around, the tears had stopped and Kim was grateful for that.

Kim scrambled for an explanation, "I slept in Adam's room last night. We were watching a movie in his room and I fell asleep." Lying to her didn't sit well with Kim but she really couldn't tell her the truth, the white lie was the best option.

"I don't want you to leave me." Harleigh turned to hug her, "I love you"

Adam placed Diesel in his high chair while he started on breakfast, he was starved and he wanted to let Kim take it easy this morning and let her hang with Harleigh. He was going to fry up some bacon and eggs, it was one of the few meals he could cook that didn't taste like shit.

Hank pushed the plate of pancakes and sausage in front of Lacey, "Here you go. It's good stuff you should eat it."

"I'm not hungry. I want my children, I need to see them. I want to know that they're okay." Lacey tired her best to keep her voice steady, she knew the man opposite her didn't have her best interest at heart and she didn't want to forget that he wasn't going to help her. No matter what he said, he didn't give two shits about her.

"Now you care, how sweet." Voight mocked her. "You expect me to believe that shit?"

"You don't know me."

"I know you left your children alone." Hank explained, "I think I know all I need to know about you. Your kids are being well cared for I can assure you of that."

"When can I see them?" Lacey asked him.

"I'm glad you asked." Hank leaned back in his chair, "I think we can come up with a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"What do you want?" Lacey was prepared to give him whatever he wanted as long as it meant she could see her kids and get them back.

"I want details. I know you're involved in some serious shit, but you're just runner yeah?" He asked her.

Lacey shook her head, "No. I'm not a runner. My husband, Travis. He is. He doesn't know anything."

"If you believe that you're an even bigger idiot than I thought." Hank pushed back from the table, "I will start the booking process, you'll be transferred to county within the hour."

"Wait!" Lacey called out, there was no hiding the panic she was feeling, "What if I help you?"

Hank stopped in the doorway, "If you give me what I want, I will give you what you want. It's that simple."

"I'll talk."

Kim and Harleigh finally emerged from the bedroom, Adam called them into the kitchen, "Breakfast is ready ladies." He pulled out a chair for Kim and then Harleigh, "Everything okay?"

Kim nodded, "It is, we will talk later. I'm starved."

"Me too!" Harleigh eagerly reached for a strip of bacon, "Mine tummy has been growling."

Adam could see the tears in Kim's eyes and he knew she was putting a brave face, he was desperate for a few minutes alone with her, he wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she hadn't done anything wrong.

Little did he know It'd be days before he get a few minutes alone with Kim.


End file.
